Watching The Girl with the Needle, I was reminded of Eraserhead. This is not just because we lost David Lynch recently (may he rest in peace), but how the black-and-white cinematography and industrial sounds of his masterful debut feature is a clear influence on Magnus von Horn’s latest feature. Whereas Eraserhead is a surrealist mind-bender that was more real to Lynch than to anyone else, The Girl with the Needle presents a historical drama that is always on the edge of Lynchian cinema.
Set in post-WWI Copenhagen, seamstress Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne) is evicted from her apartment and forced to move into squalid conditions. She is unable to apply for widow’s compensation because her husband, who has not written back to her since leaving to fight in the war, has not officially been declared dead. After beginning a romance with the boss of the mill, various things happen to cause Karoline’s life to go even further downhill, which eventually leads her into the home of Dagmar (Trine Dyrholm), who runs a secretive adoption agency for disadvantaged mothers.
For a good hour, before we even arrive at Dagmar’s sweet shop, we explore the life of this young woman who is struggling to get by in life with external forces stepping in, whether it is a promising future with the aforementioned boss Jørgen, or her husband returning from the war, only to be left with facial disfigurements and psychotic episodes. As brief as the film showcases the relationships Karoline has with these two men, it presents the landscape that may have acknowledged that the war may be over, but poverty is everywhere, high class looks down on those who are less than fortunate. Even Karoline’s reunion with her husband results in her being disgusted by him, where he finds refuge at a circus that uses him as an act, taking advantage of his war wounds.
The world that The Girl with the Needle presents is a cruel one, but when Karoline finds a new friendship with the authoritative but caring Dagmar, it feels like things are looking up, considering the illegal operation when it comes to the adoptions of abandoned babies, which is revealed to be something more sinister. Without going into spoilers, the film acknowledges that it is “inspired by true events” during the end credits. While it is best going into this film somewhat cold, in how it unfolds as this gothic horror that makes good use of shadows – thanks to Michał Dymek’s striking cinematography – the horror element is very upsetting and will leave some viewers shaken, with scenes of domestic abuse and worse, child abuse.
As bleak as it is, you will not look away from Vic Carmen Soone, who delivers an extraordinarily multifaceted performance as Karoline, going through various stages of strong will, vulnerability and self-destructive drug addiction. Given the reckless decisions she makes throughout, you don’t know if you feel sympathy or disgust, but Soone makes her a compelling figure. Another multifaceted performance comes from Trine Dyrholm, who shines in a role that completely wrong foots you.
The Girl With the Needle is now on Mubi.
