‘Let her cry’ ; a masterpiece of Lankan psychological cinema 

By Ashoke Priyadarshana – Psychologist

‘ Let her cry’, the latest cinematic oeuvre of veteran film maker Ashoka Handagama is being subjected among many critics since the narration is opened up for a multidimensional review.  The movie is based on a sensual relationship between a young female student and a professor who seems to be a sexagenarian on the verge of his retirement. The professor is gradually sedated by the student thoug
h his intention is to help her mainly due to talents. The allured professor seems in a dilemma so that he could not accomplish his ardent sexual urges perhaps due to his family and his social status as a professor. In spite of his age, the professor is sought sexual gratification in his fantasy world as well as in his realistic world; ultimately the urge for gratification turns into a love. Reviewing ‘ Let her cry’ from a cinematic language is up to the veterans in the field; yet certain subsequent incidents taking place in the narration induce me to review the film from a psychological point of view as a psychologist.   The stance of the professor’s wife is worth analyzing because the narration might be her reply over her inner psychological conflict.

In praxis, uncontrollable sexual urges arising within the person are submerged in cultural context since it is needed to maintain the definition of ‘civilized human being’; yet subjects could lose their grips allowing their inner urges to be activated. As Sigmund Freud says the person’s consciousness (super ego) is consisted of social norms , values and standards  that rule the uncivilized aspect of human beings. The underneath urges could be provoked through external stimulus unless there is control within you.  One might be driven even towards clandestine affairs as if a moth flies into a burning flame.  A staggering number of family issues encountered in day to day life by psychologists would bear out such incidents most often.  The person’s induction towards extramarital affairs is sometimes nurtured by the family itself. The cold relationship within the family members inside the monotonous family is clearly depicted through the movie i.e. the daughter of the family strongly deals with T.V whereas the wife and the husband have only become two physical entities living under one roof who seem psychologically cold and sexually retired.  The teenage daughter passively watches her father elaborating on something related to his field on a TV interview; but she doesn’t seem pay much attention to what he speaks except watching his appearance. That alludes how she desperately aspires her father’s active parental role. Children should be allowed to sense the parental affection; besides, parents ought to project love so that they could sense even to the smallest cell in the body. Democratic family should be consisted of love, fun and control in accordance with psychologists; but none of them could be apparently visible in the professor’s family.  The communication between the father (professor) and the daughter is entirely passive in which their verbal communication is mostly confined to a sheer ‘Hi’.  The pressure studded by the monotony and the unsatisfactory parental relationship provokes her to make a suicidal attempt; but her life is saved by the girl who insanely loves the professor.

The credit goes to Handagama as he brings culturally and socially suppressed phenomena to the fore despite the backlashes. Perhaps, such issues may not be alien to psychology; but relatively novel to the most viewers. Psychologically speaking, sexual gratification cements a long lasting psychological bond between the two; and that is perhaps why the necessity for satisfactory sensual relationship is stressed in family counseling and marital counseling theories. ‘Frustration’ is said to be left among the ones who are sexually dissatisfied. The cold relationship between the aging couple in the movie might be an instance of sexual dissatisfaction. Individuals communicate much about many things except their sexual life.  It is prudent to discuss such things before one of the partners is dragged into an external relationship.

The stance of the professor’s wife over her husband’s behavior is impressive and inspirational from a psychological point of view perhaps because she makes every possible effort to keep the family intact without her family to be entirely dilapidated. Her second nature of venerating the Buddha statue in the shrine room  might be viewed as an act of a ‘ defense mechanism’ to deal with her inner conflicts ; but her solidity to face this issue could have also be manifested due to her tendency towards spiritual aspect of life. Being involved in religious performances works as a ‘suggestive therapy’ which helps the person cope with stressors in a rather positive manner.   Not that should it be said that her frustrating thoughts are not popped out throughout the movie; but she manages to stay calm.

Life is enigmatic in which the process of finding solutions has to be spelled out wisely.  The professor’s wife initiates herself in securing her family from the jeopardizing relationship of her husband and his seductive student. Searching for options instead of taking the worst decision is psychologically advantageous; thus, the coupes who wish to be separated legally are bestowed few opportunities by psychologists often to see whether the atmosphere will be set in their favour. The professor’s wife opens the door of her nest to the young girl who madly falls in love with her husband. Although  few slanders are exchanged by both in a situation in which the hidden malice and sexual jealousy of the professor’s wife are provoked by the girl’s sensual figure. The aging lady then takes a fruitless effort to get her husband sexually attracted; but her attempt is rejected by him with a glance. It is inspirational to see the way her malice is trying to be replaced by humanistic actions I.e. when the girls gets her finger hurt while cutting vegetables in the kitchen the wife puts the bleeding finger into her mouth so as to stop the flowing blood.

Forgiveness must be the noblest revenge at some point from the wife’s point of view; yet her disappointment is manifested off and on.  The girl leaves home after a few days since her ambition to approach the professor is obstructed inside the family setting; but her departure creates a vacuum in the wife’s mind and she apparently misses the girl. Could that be a reflection of her empathic feelings towards the girls? Her reaction seems enigmatic. A violent act is irrupted in temple between a woman married to a politician and another woman who is suspected to be the paramour of the politician while the professor and his family are in temple bring the narration into the climax. Coincidently or deliberately the professor’s student is also present in the scene. It is a cinematic scene that shows as to how two different families approach to a similar type of an issue in two different manners. The fight gets worse so that the politician’s wife is chasing after the alleged woman with a lamp tree. The professor’s student who happens to get mediated with the fight is salvaged by the professor amidst the sudden rain. Everyone gets into car which also indicates the re-advent of the girl’s into the professor’s nest leaves a dilemma in the viewer’s mind as to what their next move could be.  A woman cries (probably the professor’s wife) ; and a male says ( professor ) ‘ Let her cry’.  Could that be a cry of catharsis ?