Day 012 || Teeth

Teeth, 2008
Dir. Mitchell Lichtenstein

"The toothed vagina appears in the mythology of many and diverse cultures all around the world. In these myths, the story is always the same. The hero must do battle with the woman. The toothed creature must break her power."

The above is not only quote from the film, but based on actual mythology of the vagina dentata, which is, apparently, some misogynistic cultural story where a hero comes (the typical man) and slays a toothed monster, which happens be a woman's vagina. If I'm loosing you already, I know, it's a stretch, but this mythology is the basic groundwork for the film Teeth.

It's pretty much a feminist interpretation on this bizarre mythology, one in which our hero, Dawn (Jess Weixler) is a pro-abstinent, straight, and very clean-cut girl with a secret, as she's about to find out. Her vagina has teeth. After a rape sequence, which would normally be pretty shocking in a film regardless, her vagina attacks back. In a sense, it's humorous and darkly horrifying all the same, and the film manages to walk on this line pretty well.

There's a real sense of women's empowerment from the get-go, as we're lead to believe that Dawn has grown these teeth in an evolutionary sense, to ward off the dangers of the world (which the director would lead you to believe is every man, we're all dicks, no pun intended). It's an interesting idea that's played off pretty well, and if it wasn't for the feminist angle this film would largely by just shrugged off as a mindless genre piece. That isn't to say that it's not a genre film, because this film revels in it's schlock factor at times, even throwing out homages and references to other genre films (pay attention to the televisions in the background).

I would be remiss if I left out my issues, which I just about did. When I say this is a feminist interpretation, I mean down to the fact that almost every man in this film is a piece of shit. No nice guy gets hurt here. Aside from her father, all the men in Dawn's life are assholes. Every single one tries to rape or take advantage of her. Seeing as I am a man, it's a little disheartening that men are portrayed in such a dim light, and not one is portrayed as a decent person. Not all men are perverted, forceful rapists as Teeth would like you to believe. And some of the acting leaves a little to be desired at times. For the most part it all works, but there's a moment when a line will come across hilariously, and it's not intended to.

Teeth isn't a film for everyone, as you could probably tell, just from the review. It's a dark comedy, with it's tongue firmly in cheek, but it also offers more thought provoking issues hidden under the surface, for those who wish to dwell on it. If it wasn't for the hidden layers, as I've already said, I would not have been able to recommend it as easily, as this is a very bizarre and difficult subject. But as it stands now, those with an open mind, and especially those with an appreciation of dark humor, should check out Teeth. Everyone else, should probably stay away.

3 out of 5