Significance of the balloon dance?
What were we supposed to take away from the dance with the balloon? It was shot to be significant, but I have to confess that I was unable to make the connection.
None.
MovieChat Forums > A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2015) Discussion > Significance of the balloon dance?
Ok. Its significance goes more than one way…so give credit to the director, and what everyone has discussed and shared thus far…
I paid close attention to the fact that the character is a transexual, and given the social issues we are dealing with in our current events as well as when this film was made, the trans character highlights the importance that it is a valid identity, yet a special one that blurs societal segregations.
This scene (trans + balloon) was shown right after Arash and The Girl emotionally bond over very emotionally significant music, a scene itself of young adults rediscovering the meaning to really live and love wholeheartedly. I saw the trans character dancing with the balloon to exemplify this love transcendentally. Particularly given how Amirpour (the director) shot it, camera moving along with them, viewer dancing with them, it was meant to share that feeling.
Society (institutions, segregations) can sap our urge to live; all the characters in the film are living in either desolation or sadness. No one cares at all, or have forgotten, what each other deeply wants. I see the transexual, standing in the liminal state of identity and what most societies struggle accepting, symbolizes finding this love despite external influences, specifically the bad things.