Helter Skelter portrays a hypersexualized world of fallen dreams and abuse where everything is about power.
Sex in this film is a tool to use and abuse others in order to obtain power over them. This becomes apparent in the scene where Lilico abuses her assistant, using the sexual act to humiliate and obtain power over the assistant. Lilico is placed in a higher position by the camera angle, which shows her power. The fashion/celebrity world is deeply rooted in this feeling, which is present throughout the movie.
The descent into madness of Lilico is gradual, but also brutal and painful. The effects of this type of life on someone's personality and actions are clearly explained and shown. You can see how people deal with these events in different ways. Comparing Lilico and Kozue's personalities reveals this polarity. Lilico became power hungry and narcissistic, whereas Kozue became nihilistic and power hungry.
I think this movie would have been even better if it had ended after Lilico's incident at the press conference. The last 20 minutes were unnecessary and had it ended there, it would have left a stronger impression on the viewers.
See more on my Letterboxd profile.
Sex in this film is a tool to use and abuse others in order to obtain power over them. This becomes apparent in the scene where Lilico abuses her assistant, using the sexual act to humiliate and obtain power over the assistant. Lilico is placed in a higher position by the camera angle, which shows her power. The fashion/celebrity world is deeply rooted in this feeling, which is present throughout the movie.
The descent into madness of Lilico is gradual, but also brutal and painful. The effects of this type of life on someone's personality and actions are clearly explained and shown. You can see how people deal with these events in different ways. Comparing Lilico and Kozue's personalities reveals this polarity. Lilico became power hungry and narcissistic, whereas Kozue became nihilistic and power hungry.
I think this movie would have been even better if it had ended after Lilico's incident at the press conference. The last 20 minutes were unnecessary and had it ended there, it would have left a stronger impression on the viewers.
See more on my Letterboxd profile.