Abusing Silence Dehumanization through Silencing in Martin Koolhoven’s Brimstone

Abstract

Although Koolhoven’s Brimstone (2016) predates the #MeToo movement, just as the discourse of women’s vocality, the film already seems to be articulating the same criticism against the culture of silence as the movement, and as previous feminist movements as well, by positioning itself as a feminist parable embedded in historical context. Also incorporating religion as a focal point in the narrative, the film explores various forms of gender-based abuse, oppression, and the different methods of dehumanization, mostly through different instances of silencing, for example the usage of scold’s bridle, (self-) mutilation, or controlling one’s use of language. This paper examines silencing as an act of oppression, and a conscious denial of one’s agency, and offers an overarching interpretation of it in Brimstone, while also positioning the film as a modern parable, a feminist stance against the culture of silence embedded in historical and cultural contexts.