When do you watch movies, which one do
you prefer to focus on-character or place? Generally people including myself
tend to concentrate on main characters’ personalities and behaviors, as well as
their excellent appearances. However with several films, characters who in plot
could not play roles in any other place: room in the Vermeer’s house in Girl with a Pear Earring is an example
of such a movie. Vermeer’s atelier is a crucial place ingredient in the movie Girl with a Pearl Earring because in the
very studio Griet is drawn to the new world and is ruined at the same time.
The master Vermeer’s atelier first
attracts Griet, a maid of Vermeer’s house, to the totally different and new
world. When first Griet enters the room to clean up, Vermeer tries to teach her
how to use camera obscura, the origin of now what is called ‘camera’, and he
knows it by intuition that Griet is different from any other girl in lower
class. This event stands as a starting point that Griet becomes familiar with arts
of upper class and Vermeer personally. She learns about paints, colors, and
general knowledge for drawing, the holy area of Vermeer in the whole families.
This is so extraordinary experience for Griet to join the secret with Vermeer,
making her feel special and unique.
However at the same time Vermeer’s
atelier finally destroys her fantasy to the upper class and gives her back to
the lower class. In the drawing room, Vermeer begins to draw Griet and gets her
one ear pierced for the perfect drawing, girl with a pearl earring. Of course
this is a taboo to piercing ear secretly, and making the matters worse, the
required earring was hostess Catharina’s. Taking the risk, Griet secretly get
her ear pierced and becomes the model with a perfect figure for Vermeer’s
painting. Unfortunately all the secrets are unveiled, and Griet are not only
dismissed but also suffered from the cold eyes of villagers. Finally without
profound love, she marries Pieter, a son of butcher, and this shows that she is
ruined totally and return back to poor reality.
Girl
with a Pearl Earring shows that how an
important place-Vermeer’s atelier here- becomes a great symbol to explain everything
in the movie. The atelier makes Griet feel fantastic to enter the fresh world
as a model of Vermeer, but simultaneously makes her feel lost everything to
come down from heaven to reality. Haven’t you ever wanted to experience a magic
room to lead you to a heavenly position or unlucky event?
