Love Lies Bleeding: Pulpy Perfection
Joah B.
When I first came upon the trailer for Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding, I was very intrigued. A female-led, queer romance mixed with a revenge thriller, all centered around bodybuilding and the 1980s gun-running scene? A film like this is a rarity now and was all but an impossibility to get made not even fifteen years ago, save for smaller scale films like Bound or the more “exploitative” cinema of the 1970s. So, with March being Women’s History Month, I decided there was no better time to check the film out. And, without getting too ahead of myself, I’m very glad I did.
Only the second film of newcomer Rose Glass’ filmography, Love Lies Bleeding distinguishes itself from its contemporary counterparts with its low, dark lighting and gritty, raw violent story. Love Lies Bleeding follows the story of a woman named Louise (Lou for short), a gym manager played by Kristen Stewart (Pic left). Lou meets a drifter named Jackie, played by Katy O’Brien (Pick left). Jackie is an aspiring bodybuilder, looking to participate in an upcoming competition in Las Vegas. Lou and Jackie are drawn to one another and begin a whirlwind romance. However, things get complicated as Jackie is working for Lou’s father, Lou Sr. (played by Ed Harris). Lou Sr. runs the local gun range, but more than that he is a crime lord, running guns for criminals and crushing anyone who gets in his way; even the cops are on his payroll. All Lou wants is to escape the town her father puppeteers, the place she’s been trapped in all her life, and Jackie may just be that way out. But as with all things, there always comes a cost.
A film like Love Lies Bleeding lives or dies on the strength of its acting, and that is one of this film’s strongest muscles that it flexes from start to finish. Kristen Stewart (who I haven’t seen in mainstream film since the Twilight franchise ended) is excellent as Lou, a trapped, desperate woman looking for anything to hold onto, to protect and be protected. It’s a vulnerable performance that truly shows how far Stewart has come as an actress. Her counterpart, Katy O’Brien, is electric on screen. Her boundless enthusiasm is infectious, and it’s terrifying watching her spiral into near madness as she struggles with the reality of her new relationship, her new job, and all the dirty strings that come attached. O’Brien is a new name to me, as I’d only seen her in a few episodes of The Mandalorian prior to this, but hers is a career I will be watching with great interest from here on out. The chemistry between Stewart and O’Brien on screen is magnificent, every moment of their tumultuous, lustful, and heart-dropping romance feels truly genuine.
Of course, a thriller is nothing without its villains, and Love Lies Bleeding delivers there as well. Ed Harris’ (Pic left) Lou Sr. is a cold, calculating man with a dark past, and seemingly endless plans for his own family and their dark future. Harris carries a gravity with him that truly makes him feel inescapable, his victory inevitable, as evidenced by the fact that he allows the continued domestic abuse of his other daughter Beth (played by Jena Malone) at the hands of his son-in-law J.J. (played by Dave Franco), simply because J.J. is a key player in Lou Sr.’s gun running operation. Both Lou Sr. and J.J. are despicable human beings, who absolutely deserve the retribution they have coming.
At its core however, Love Lies Bleeding is more than just its pulpy, grindhouse-esque exterior. It’s a film that explores just what love is, in all its different forms, and just how real love can change you. At the film’s beginning, Lou is isolated, having cut contact with her father years ago, only staying in town in a vain attempt to protect Beth from J.J. Beth and J.J. themselves are the purest example of a toxic relationship, with J.J. beating Beth so hard that she ends up with bruises, broken bones, or even being hospitalized at one point. Yet, because of “love”, their relationship endures, even when everything around them says it shouldn’t. Lou Sr. portrays the act of manipulative love, putting up a caring façade in order to simply get what you want. He keeps Beth alive, but not out of danger. He keeps Lou employed, but only because it means he can keep an eye on her. Lou Sr.’s idea of love is one that only moves one way.
Anna Baryshinikov
Similarly, the character of Daisy (played by Anna Baryshnikov) is a prime example of infatuation, or unrequited love. Daisy spends the entire film pining for Lou, even when it’s clear that she’s in a relationship, or that Lou is uncomfortable being anything more than friends with Daisy. Daisy’s feelings ultimately override her common sense, and get her into deep, deep trouble. Even Lou and Jackie’s relationship isn’t true love, at least, not at first. As I said earlier, all Lou wants is a way out of her hometown, and Jackie is her ticket out. To facilitate that, Lou lets Jackie stay with her, and supplies her with a steady stream of steroids, to “give her an edge” in the competition. Jackie, in turn, gives Lou the companionship she craves. Yet, what begins as something semi-transactional blooms into more genuine love as the film goes on, leading to a stellar, transformative climax.
Director: Rose Glass
Speaking of transformations, that leads me to the final point I’d like to make about Love Lies Bleeding: its fantastic visuals. Flashbacks to Lou’s childhood are steeped in bright red light, with dark, all-consuming voids of black in place of scenery. It’s a striking image that’s stuck with me long after the credits rolled. Not only that, but Jackie’s descent into addiction is one that Rose Glass directs in a truly fascinating way. The more Jackie falls for Lou, the more her physique reacts to the steroids she’s taking – with her body undergoing rapid, sometimes dramatic changes as she acts out of love for Lou. Later, as their relationship strains, Jackie’s world begins to unravel, with the lines between what’s real and what is imagined blurring for the viewer. It’s fascinating to watch.
Overall, Love Lies Bleeding remains an unexpected, artful film, one that I’m glad to have seen on the big screen. if you are a fan of cinema and an enjoyer of pulpy, darker fiction, then you owe it to yourself to see this movie. Do yourself a favor, and don’t leave Love Lies Bleeding on the floor.
