I Killed My Mother (2009)

J'ai tué ma mère

Film details

Drama · Xavier Dolan · 1h 36min

Synopsis

Hubert, a brash 17-year-old, is confused and torn by a love-hate relationship with his mother that consumes him more and more each day. After distressing ordeals and tragic episodes, Hubert will find his mother on the banks of Saint Lawrence river, where he grew up, and where a murder will be committed: the murder of childhood.

Verdict

Normalizes adolescent homosexuality as the protagonist's search for identity.

In-depth analysis

The film presents the homosexuality of a 16-year-old adolescent as a natural and unquestionable part of his identity. The central conflict does not revolve around the protagonist's orientation but rather his toxic relationship with his mother, whom he despises for her vulgarity and lack of sophistication. The work constructs the mother's character as oppressive and limited, while the protagonist's homosexual relationship with another boy is shown as a refuge of authenticity and freedom. No moral questioning or consequences are associated with the minor's sexual conduct; the film simply accepts it as a fait accompli. The director employs sophisticated visual techniques and a fragmented narrative that can be appealing to young audiences, making the normalization of the message more effective. The technical quality and committed performances do not alter the fact that the work presents as natural and desirable something that requires parental discernment. Furthermore, the treatment of the mother-son conflict lacks redemptive resolution: the visceral hatred of the title persists until the end without a genuine arc of conversion.