It was 70 years ago,
when being well-matched (two virgin bodies from two families of equal
standing) was a standard practice required for new recruits to the
society, when the unlike-others tended to be looked down upon and
labeled as 「bad」, and when there were many things that couldn』t be said,
thought of, or done (since what you should say, think of, and do had
been designed before you were born). In short, it was the age of the
goddess Artemis that insisted on purity and chastity. And Elia Kazan』s
「Splendor In The Grass」 is a movie that depicts a frustrated first love
of two youngsters in a small Kansas town in such a highly repressive age
of the 1920s.
In 「Splendor In The Grass」, the characteristic of the age is clearly
presented through the portrayal of the parents of Bud (the hero) and of
Deanie (the heroine). Bud』s father and Deanie』s mother are the keen
observer, the faithful follower of the goddess Artemis. It could be
noticed in the beginning of the film. Deanie』s mother is gravely
concerned about the virginity of Deanie who arrives home late; likewise,
Bud』s father reminds Bud: 「you have to be responsible for what you do,
that one should suffer severe punishments as he/she violates the values
of purity and chastity.」 For the parents, purity must be the highest
value in their children』s lives.
Ginny is a typical victim of such beliefs. She is a non-conformist, the
so-called bad girl whom the society gossips much about. Even her death
is surely to serves as a good example the society could use to show to
other girls: 「Look, it is the fate of a disgraceful girl!」 Ginny is not
much different from the non-conforming teenagers today, and because she
does not abide by the traditional values the other people conform to,
she has to be isolated and then driven to extremes. The wrath of the
goddess Artemis falls heavily upon those who do not follow in her ways.
This movie portrays how the youth』s dreams vanished into thin air and
healthy souls degenerated into sickness because of such strong beliefs
in chastity and virginity. It seems to me that such an age contributes
nothing to the lives of thousands of young people. As there is no
choice of their own future for the youth except what has been arranged
by the parents and the society, life remains a torture (for the youths).
At the end of the film, Deanie has been enlightened and has reached a
certain degree of self-discovery and self-consciousness. It seems that
every grief could be recovered in time. But the prejudice of the age
has deprived some people』s right to experience such enlightenment.
Bud』s and Deanie』s life may have resumed again after a deep slumber, yet
Ginny has sadly perished in this process. The human cost is simply too
high.