Eve’s Bayou (1997): looking through Eve’s eyes as a child
Did Eve really kill her father? Briefly, the main plot of the film centers around Eve, who believes she killed her father by using voodoo because she was angry at him for his incessant philandering and for possibly sexually abusing her sister, Cicely. But because the film is told through the perspective of a child’s eyes, as she grows into understanding, she also grows into seeing the complexity of the story. Since Eve is just a child, she is uncertain on her personal views, perceptions, and even practices. Considering that she is a jealous child, there is something wrong with her personal traits. Eve believed that she killed her father. The term “believed” is the operative word. This is based on her own perception, understanding and perspective of the case. When she believed that she killed her father, then she is claiming indeed that she is the murderer. But, the conflict lies on the confusion of understanding the cause of death of her father. If only the film narrative provided an apparent representation on how Louis Baptiste was killed, then Eve (in the eyes of the viewer) will understand and point out what is the real case in point. In my opinion, the intervention of Mozelle Baptiste (the psychic aunt who practices voodoo) is an important point to consider particularly in determining the real perpetrator. The viewer shares the experience of Eve and is invited to learn the importance and complexity of history and memory. Eve’s Bayou can be read as a conduct text that is never simple, preachy, or linear. Instead, viewers are left to understand the material and narratives in keeping with reference to their own experiences. Again, Eve believed that she killed her father but forgot to consider other factors that might throw in to such death.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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