Saintly woman with dark side

Catholic New Times, Dec 5, 2004 by Jean Smith Cavalluzzo

BY JEAN SMITH CAVALLUZZO

Vera Drake, written and directed by Mike Leigh. Odeon Films, 2004. 125 minutes.

British filmmaker Mike Leigh's most recent film, Vera Drake, offers us a window of understanding on the subject of abortion without moralizing about it. Leigh illuminates with sensitivity the human condition. The audience experiences the social class distinctions and social hyprocrisies that the Drake family lives within.

The family drama takes place in London in 1950. The war is still talked about. Food rationing continues to take place and creates opportunities for black-market sales of goods. Things are not easy for the Drake family, but they manage to pull together in their cheerful household.

The film opens with Vera Drake dressed in typical British Mum fashion in tweedy coat, sturdy shoes carrying her shopping bag walking though her housing estate and up the stairs to a dreary flat. Vera is on one of her many "charity" calls to help out her invalid friends, neighbours and elderly relatives. The saintly Vera goes about spreading good cheer and serving copious cups of tea and biscuits. As a matter of fact, the whole movie revolves around cups of tea, as if the troubles of the world can be cured by one. If only life were that easy.

Vera makes a living as a cleaning lady in wealthy homes. She lives in a walkup flat with her husband, Stan, along with her adult children, Sid and Ethel. Her life is juxtaposed with those of the women whose houses she cleans. The rich houses are bright and gleaming with polished brass, silver and art, while Vera's cramped apartment is dark and cramped, but with more life and love inhabiting its rooms.

Stan refers to his wife as "diamond," while brother-in-law Frank says "she has a heart of gold." We soon find out that Vera's generosity of spirit includes "helping girls out"--a euphemism for the miscarriages that she induces. We witness Vera having tea with her childhood friend, Lily. Lily deals in black-market items--sardines, tea, sugar, sweets, etc. Lily sets up appointments for Vera to "help girls out." Vera's method involves pumping a solution of grated lye soap and hot water into the girl's womb with a syringe. She instructs the girls that in the next day or two they will experience a "pain down below. Get yourself to the toilet and everything will come away. You'll be right as rain." Of course, Vera's family is unaware that she performs abortions, which heightens the drama when the law finally does coming knocking on Vera's door during a family celebration.

Leigh contrasts the backroom abortions performed on isolated working-class girls with that of the rich. Susan, the daughter of one of Vera's employers, was date-raped. For the sum of 150 [pounds] a doctor was enlisted, through the connections of a friend, to set her abortion in motion. After being interviewed by a psychiatrist and answering carefully rehearsed questions, Susan is off to a clinic that is reminiscent of a luxury hotel for her "operation" to terminate her seven-week pregnancy. Susan's abortion is like a weekend trip to the spa.

Imelda Staunton gives a stellar performance as Vera Drake, especially when confronted by the law. Vera is a simple woman, but she is not stupid. She knows "her helping girls out" is illegal. She simply says to the detective inspector: "I know why you're here. It's about what I do." The inspector at one point asks her if she performs abortions. Vera says "that's what you call it ... I call it helping girls out." The supporting cast of believable characters give memorable performances.

The main weakness of the film is that the character development of Vera is lacking. I want to know what it was in her background that helped form Vera into this saintly do-gooder. Nothing of her background is explained. We know more about her husband Stan's early childhood spent in an orphanage, than Vera's childhood. Vera's background is not alluded to, with the exception of duty visits to her rather miserable, sick old mother.

Similarly, Vera's motivation for performing abortions is weak. We are given a hint that Vera "helped girls out" because she may have been in that situation herself when she was young. Despite the detective inspector asking Vera if this was the case, we aren't given a definitive answer. The camera focuses on painful expressions on Vera's weeping face.

I came away from the theatre wanting answers to Vera's motivations that Leigh didn't deliver. And that is what Leigh is known for. No easy answers in the human condition.

We are left to make up our own minds.