This essay contains mentions of sexual assault. Spoilers for Fair Play ahead.
“Women have served all these centuries as looking-glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size.” -Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own.
The existence of patriarchal systems and the toxic behaviors they perpetuate infiltrate all aspects of society. However, in recent years, the media has begun to critique such byproducts of the patriarchy, such as problematic behaviors like toxic masculinity and the broader phenomenon of male fragility.
These behaviors describe aspects of misogyny that perpetuate violent gender imbalances. Both toxic masculinity and male fragility devalue traits commonly associated with femininity, such as vulnerability and empathy, while encouraging men to embody the traditionally “male” traits of dominance and aggression. These harmful manners enforce a rigid standard of manhood that is detrimental to the mental and physical well-being of not only women, but all genders. At its core, the patriarchy is upheld through its exploitation and oppression of women and all other non-male members of society.
Writer-director Chloe Domont’s debut feature film Fair Play—released on Netflix in early October—explores how these misogynistic norms are deeply ingrained in both the corporate workplace and interpersonal relationships.
The psychological thriller follows Emily and Luke, two financial analysts at a cutthroat Manhattan hedge fund in a secret relationship—going against their company’s policy. Despite being passionately in love, their relationship quickly deteriorates when one of the company’s portfolio managers is fired. Soon after, it is revealed that Emily receives the job instead of Luke, who expected to get the promotion. He struggles to accept the fact that his partner will also be his boss, and his resentment towards Emily becomes increasingly apparent, creating nail-biting tension in their relationship. The majority of the film maps out Luke’s radicalization from a relatively progressive ‘good guy’ into a misogynistic ‘alpha-male;’ this shift occurs because Luke felt threatened by Emily taking a position he believes he deserves. Domont encapsulates both the covert and blatant forms of sexism that are present in the corporate world.
One eerie motif illuminated throughout the film is the presence of human blood, which is seen from both the opening and ending scenes. The film starts with a moment of intimacy between Emily and Luke. Luke performs oral sex on Emily, who does not realize she is on her period, which endswith both Luke’s face and Emily’s dress covered in blood. However, the two laugh it off. When asked why Domont decided to include this scene as the opening of the movie, Domont stated to TIME Magazine that she “wanted to set up that this is a man who you don't think is threatened by women.” The idea that Luke was unfazed by period blood—and instead laughs it off—convinces the audience that he is ‘one of the good men,’ which makes his behavior later on even more shocking.
From the beginning, blood is seen as carrying significance to both Emily and Luke in their relationship; it represents a ‘good’ man’s deterioration into toxic masculinity and violent misogyny. When Emily discovers that she had received the promotion instead of Luke, the immediate emotions Luke feels are shock and disbelief, despite trying to remain congratulatory. Emily’s hesitation in breaking the news to him so as not to ‘threaten’ him is a familiar feeling for many women. Luke’s feigned excitement is short-lived, as he shortly victimizes himself, claiming Emilyrobbed him of the job and stole his career from him.
By the climax of the film, Luke is still unable to confront his pain and insecurities of feeling inferior to Emily in both interpersonal and career-related successes. Instead, he looks to an ‘alpha male’ self-help guru because he feels the need to protect his masculinity. This anxiety over masculinity stems from Emily’s success, as he views her accomplishments as a direct threat to his own ‘masculine’ power. According to Domont, Luke’s response to his feelings of inferiority are symptomatic of the broader patriarchal system at play. She explains that [t]here’s a crisis of masculinity,” but that she alsofeel[s] for men because they’ve been raised on traditional ideas of masculinity, and society doesn’t offer them anything else.” Domont’s portrayal of Luke’s bigotry is not a comment of hatred towards individual men; rather, it is an observation as to how the patriarchy was set up to fail everyone.
By the end of the thriller, Luke’s misogyny and insecurities are more apparent: he outwardly critiques how Emily dresses at their workplace—–saying she is dressed like a “cupcake”—–and therefore, none of their coworkers will take her seriously due to her feminine presentation. Emily’s feelings of betrayal in the wake of Luke’s bigotry are palpable through the screen—especially considering that, throughout the film, she had not only been supportive of his career goals, but had also tried to help him get promoted as well. The dichotomy between Emily’s support for Luke’s endeavors and his sheer animosity for hers underpins Luke’s shameful character arc and showcases the malicious and consuming nature of the patriarchal system.
Coming full circle, the ending of Fair Play also uses human blood to….—this time Luke’s instead of Emily’s. Luke, unable to protect his fragile ego, uses physical force against Emily to assert his dominance over her. He sexually assaults her. This brutalization of her body ultimately demonstrates the power and control that Luke desperately needed over Emily, as a means of preserving his “manhood.” In the final scene, Emily holds Luke at knifepoint, instructing him to apologize for his discriminatory actions. Before slashing his shoulder, she makes clear that he must acknowledge his male fragility and emotional weakness. The motif of blood is incorporated again, as Emily tells Luke, “If I can’t make you cry, I’m going to make you bleed.” Whereas blood in the opening is indicative of passionate love, and the blood in the last scene suggests a reclamation of power for Emily.
At the climax of this scene, Luke finally breaks down and exclaims, “I’m nothing.” Emily’s response—the final words of the movie—is as follows: “Now wipe the blood off my floor, and get out. I’m done with you now.”
The blood in the final moments of the film are symbolic of male fragility and its consequences: that Luke’s descent into misogynistic radicalization throughout the thriller caused them both immense anguish and served as the downfall of their relationship. Domont beautifully expresses how destructive these patriarchal norms can be and how they ultimately tarnished all aspects of Luke’s life: his relationships, his career, and his sense of self.
Fair Play is a film that holds true for many working women in heterosexual relationships, including Domont herself: “…[the] success [in my career] didn’t really feel like a win because of the kinds of men I had been dating—that me being big made them feel small…,” she stated in The New York Times. The Film powerfully highlights the anger that many women feel when battling the patriarchy, and Domont indicates the ways in which male fragility are tremendously harmful to all genders. As modern media has grown increasingly more open to making films exploring these concepts, perhaps these artforms can help young men break free from a toxic perception of manhood.
Alison Karki is a junior(ish) in the College studying Justice and Peace Studies.
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