Final Review - Artemis

When it comes to period dramas, they are often judged on their historical accuracy. The ones that are believable, credible and realistic are those that receive the highest ratings. We might have been forgiven in thinking that this was too great a task for Allan, Karadimas and Sommers to pull off, however in this case the sense of profundity, obscurity and setting is what makes it convincing. Forsaken flirts with both the power of patriarchy and gender representation in the 1930’s. As with their previous film ‘Asylum’, Sommers, Allan and Karadimas capture the thrilling element in their period drama skilfully.

Fragile mother Myrtle’s life is a portrait of the dominant ideology whereby women were seen as second class citizens to men. Acclaimed actress Katie Sommers plays a woman of the 1930’s effortlessly, not questioning her husband about the sudden demise of her child and acting pretty hopelessly in general. Her perturbed expression and cluelessness allow the story to go on, as her actions enable George (Edward Johnson) to get away with such an iniquitous and immoral act. She portrays the submissive dependent mother with ease and grace as we see the story from her point of view and feel with her the emotional roller-coaster she is on, going back and forth between the past and present. Although it has to be said it is difficult to feel sorry for Myrtle under the circumstances when she asks no questions, giving the impression of her naivety. Would we like to believe that put in that situation we would have seen the bigger picture? Or perhaps we might have been just the same, defeated and accepting of the sometimes cruel hurdles life has to throw at us. 

Johnson applied the phlegmatic and ruthless exterior you would expect a man to have had in the 1930’s that allows him to make the deplorable decision of putting his son secretly into an institution for the mentally ill. His lack of emotion imitates the patriarchal ideology set in the 30’s without flaw. Some may say that he was a little too convincing in his role, stating very matter of fact that his only child had died, deceiving his wife so dexterously and only offering her his cold hard shoulder in her time of need and comfort. The cliff-hanger ending enhances the story, leaving the audience with enigmas and increasing the depth of darkness.

Whilst we may have seen this kind of story before in the past film ‘The Lost Prince’, ‘Forsaken’ depicts a classic tale of deceit and lies, intertwined with love and power handsomely. A mix of history and the ever lasting issue of abandonment compliment this film perfectly. It makes for one of those narratives which poignancy has a lasting impression, long after the final shot. 

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