Vera Drake

Short abstract

Directed by Mike Leigh US release date: 22 October 2004 Expected UK release date: 7 January 2005

Rating: ★★★★

In Vera Drake, which won the prestigious Golden Lion award at September's Venice Film Festival and opened the Times/British Film Institute London Film Festival last month, the veteran English director Mike Leigh continues his dissection of the trials and tribulations of English family life that he began in his first film, Bleak Moments (1971).

Figure 1.

Heartbreaking: Imelda Staunton as Vera Drake

Credit: SIMON MEIN/FINE LINE FEATURES

Set in 1950's London, the film follows the perfect family life that Vera (Imelda Staunton) and her husband, Stan (Phil Davis), enjoy with their son and daughter. Vera also cares for her elderly mother, and supports her frail neighbours with an air of compassion and humanity. This blissful existence is shattered by the emergence of Vera's dark past as a backstreet abortionist. The reaction among the community and even among her loving family is far from sympathetic.

In a particularly poignant scene Vera tries to justify her actions: “I only help young girls out when they can't manage.” She sees the abortions as part of her social duties towards women in crisis. Surprisingly, the film does not provide any easy answers from Vera's past to explain why she performs those abortions. But it does explore what circumstances were like for women of different social classes: an upper class woman could obtain an abortion by having the right contacts among doctors and psychiatrists, while poor and deprived women were forced into seeking out backstreet abortions, where the procedures are all too frequently botched.

The World Health Organization estimates that a third of maternal deaths result from complications of illegal abortions. A total of 20 million unsafe abortions are performed annually, 95% of which occur in low income countries. Abortion is, of course, still a controversial subject, with two sets of campaigners vehemently taking up entrenched positions: the “pro lifers” condemning abortion in all its forms, and the “pro choice” groups supporting it. Abortion was ranked as one of the 11 key issues in the US presidential election campaign.

Figure 2.

Director Mike Leigh: sensitive handling of abortion

Credit: SIMON MEIN/FINE LINE FEATURES

The complexities of abortion and all its religious, moral, and cultural implications have been tackled on screen before in films such as Lasse Hallström's The Cider House Rules (1999). Leigh steers clear of the religious dimension, arguing that abortion is a human moral dilemma, not a religious conundrum. Overall, Leigh's handling of this contentious subject is admirably sensitive, while leaving the audience with more questions than answers. Vera Drake avoids sentimentality and honestly exposes the harsh realities and social injustices in an unforgivingly uptight society. It is a brilliantly crafted film, which pays great attention to historical details and boasts strong performances all round. But this is chiefly Imelda Staunton's film: her portrayal of physical and emotional disintegration, and of pain, suffering, and shame as Vera's secret is revealed is heartbreaking. Staunton's best actress award at the Venice Film Festival seems to have been well deserved.

Vera Drake made me, as a doctor, question and reconsider my responsibilities towards all forms of human suffering. It may be an oversimplification to say so, but if women in crisis like those portrayed in Vera Drake had found responsible health and social support, they would not have had to resort to illegal backstreet abortions, with all the attendant risks of infections, long term infertility, and social stigma.

In addition to entertainment, the true role of cinema should be to enlighten, educate, and encourage debate about sensitive universal issues——a role in which this film excels.