Film Analysis The Lesser Blessed

The film
The Lesser Blessed is set in the hometown of the author and lead actor; Fort
Smith, Northwest Territories. When I think of the Northwest Territories the very first thing that comes to mind is solitude. I envision vast expanses of land with very few people, plants and animals. Growing up surrounded by a solitary environment I can only imagine gives you plenty of time to reflect on who you are. You probably can't help but mirror the isolation that envelops you every day. In an interview with the director Anita Doron on the topic of the location she states, “you can only escape into the landscape, and it will eat you up.” The North is mean and cold and unforgiving. Very few people have the strength to life in such harsh environmental conditions, the cold and darkness and isolation can lead many people down the wrong paths that can potentially lead to substance abuse and bad mental health. Poverty is very prevalent in the northern communities because the cost of living above the 60th parallel is much higher. From what I observed everyone was in the lower middle class or upper lower class. In some cases poverty can lead to higher criminal activity and substance addictions. Most northern communities are very small, everyone knows each other and there are very few activities to partake in. Larry states in the movie and novel “not much to do if you're not into booze or sports” Larry feels like he doesn't fit into the community, he is holding something back, hiding it and subconsciously everyone is registering it. Humans tend to avoid sadness. Isolation rings out in Larry’s life like in the landscape he is accustomed to. In the beginning of the movie Larry is a very introverted person, you can see his body language change when he is among groups of people. He seems to have a very analytical view and perspective on everything and everyone around him. He is constantly reflecting on himself and his past. Larry is constantly aware of how he presents himself to others, he tries to make himself small. He wants to fold himself inwards and disappear into the cracks to try and hide from his past. Larry is not good at articulating what he feels, he never learnt the trait of talking about his feelings and discussion because Verna and Larry have a relationship of few words and communication is neither of their strong suits. Larry learnt to express his communication in a different way, through stories. In the book he says that he has a knack for remembering stories verbatim and in

the movie he shares a few stories with his mother and friends. Larry tells stories that carry a message about how he is feeling instead of having a formal sit down and talk about it. Larry finds a relief creatively, through music and art. His favourite genre of music is heavy metal. I believe Larry relates to the primal chaos of the genre to the chaos in his thought and emotions. Heavy metal is music that every teen can relate to. Its filled with fantasy and violence. For Larry it is an escape where he doesn't think of his past traumas, he simply gets lost in the sound and words. He is seen drawing twice in the movie and in the novel his therapist asks him to draw a picture of how he sees himself, he hands in a drawing of the forest. His therapist asks him where he is, Larry then points to the forest floor and says, “I am already buried.” I think
Larry feels a disassociation from himself or more so from his past self. He seems to be able to disconnect at any time and go off in his own little world. His past limits his experiences in the present. The thing he looks forward to every day is Juliet Hope, Larry is completely infatuated with her, he believes she is an angel. Larry’s four most basic moods are; his dissociation, his serenity and solitude, his heavy metal fueled rage, and his utter lust for Juliet. In the book within the first paragraph Larry says that he takes two baths a day to be pure, in the movie he is seen in the bath six times. “At least underwater I can hear my heartbeat.” he uses the water as a time of reflection, when he is in the bath he is again alone with his thoughts and feelings. Every time Larry is seen in the water there are always flashbacks of the fire. Water symbolizes healing, purity, cleansing, and change; all of the things Larry wants to happen in his own life.
He and his mother Verna were abused emotionally, spiritually, sexually, mentally, and physically by Larry’s dad. Larry was tired of living in fear and he decided to take action. “Larry attempts to both repress and make sense of a tragically violent incident in his past. It is his attempt to evade and finally to confront this terror.” Larry is completely torn in two about how he should feel. One part of him feels horrible and very guilty for what he did. The other part is a sense of justice, a belief that his father got what he deserved.
If Larry hadn’t done what he did it would’ve continued. As larry says “I wanted it to stop,

I didn't want any more broken veins under my skin. I didn't want to see my mom bruised up anymore. We both burned that night, but i’m still alive.” Larry needed the abuse to stop for himself and for his mom. Larry murdered his father, no one in the movie outright says it but that is what happened. Him and his father we’re both drunk and fighting and Larry started the building they were in on fire. Fire is a huge component to the story. In some cultures fire is seen as a supernatural force that is closely related to the sun. Fire is associated with the most powerful and intense emotions; passion, love, empathy, hate, compassion,and anger. Fire is used as a symbol in the movie for the incident and for a metaphor for the intense emotions that Larry feels.
Larry doesn't have anyone to talk to about what happened. he suffers silently if not with stoicism. He is a mixture of vulnerability and bravado, he wants to be strong for himself and his mother but he is broken inside. His scars inside and out are a constant reminder of what he lived through. Every day he has to look at them and think of what happened.
The first time Larry fully talks about what happened is with Jed in the forest after Larry runs away. Larry views Jed as a role model, Jed symbolizes a positive father role for Larry. Larry values everything Jed says and does. When Larry tries to run away from himself Jed gives him a crucial piece of advice he says, “Now is not the time to walk away...you get three chances in life to stare the devil right down the eyeballs, this is your most important one. Don't turn your back, don't be scared” Larry takes this advice When he moved to Fort. Smith from Hay River he had to start over without knowing anyone else. In the first few scenes of the movie Larry is shown by himself. He doesn't seem to have any friends and he is seen spending time with himself. That is until a new boy named
Johnny Beck moves to town. Within a few days Johnny and Larry are friends, instantly you can see Larry start to come out of his shell. When Johnny starts to date Juliet, instead of Larry being mad or upset he is happy to tag along. When he is with them he gets to be himself and do or say whatever he is feeling without feeling judged. He is fine with putting their happiness in front of his own, he is just so grateful to finally have people to talk to and give him a sense of value.
All Larry wants is to feel like he belongs. He doesnt want to feel different or be isolated. When he starts hanging out with Johnny and Juliet he gains confidence he didn't knew he had he starts

to feel accepted. His body language changes when he is around other people. He takes that confidence he feels and begins to stand up for himself against Darcy and everyone else who ostracized him.
By the end of the movie Larry has come to terms with the past and finally realizes there is nothing he can do to change it. The only thing he can do is move forward towards the future. “I cry knowing I don't belong to anyone but I smile knowing that my life is unwrapped”