Land (2021) Movie: When a tragedy strikes us, we want to give up on life. We consider that everything is lost and no one loves us. Furthermore, we forget to move on and want to hurt ourselves. “Land,” a psychological drama by award-winning actor and director Robin Wright, discusses this in detail.
Edee Holzer (Robin Wright) is shown visiting a therapist in order to recover from a tragedy. But then decides to escape the torture and go to a remote place far from people and life. At the outset, you feel she wants to start a new life in a different place, but all she desires as days pass is to slowly and gradually end her life.
Who is responsible for breathing meaning into our lives? Can we really live all by ourselves? And what is life all about? Existential questions like these are answered in the film quite efficiently. “Land” is a slow-paced melancholic film with beautiful scenic frames to treasure.
The background music assists the viewer’s pattern of relating to Edee, the protagonist. The challenges the character faces at Wyoming and how she tries to overcome them make up for the rest of the narrative. Fortunately, she is assisted by a stranger who happens to pass that way, proving that life is uncertain, yet certain things happen for a reason.
Land (2021) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Edee Holzer’s husband, Adam (Warren Christie), and son, Drew (Finlay Wojtak-Hissong) were shot by a random shooter at a concert hall. And therefore, Edee is completely shattered. She doesn’t know what to do. At the advice of her sister Emma (Kim Dickens), she meets a therapist who she thinks will work out the magic and help her overcome her trouble. After the tragic incident, Edee lost trust and faith in people.
She finds it difficult to be around people who she believes want her to be better at all times. When the therapist asks her why she finds it difficult to share her life with others, she replies that she doesn’t want to share her feelings and that she doesn’t want others to have a share in what she feels. Edee is reluctant to share what she is going through and has to live alone with the pain she is enduring after losing her beloved husband and son.
Edee’s escape to a foreign land
Wanting to escape the judging and constant questioning, Edee travels to Wyoming carrying her food and other basic requirements. She purchases a small house on the hilltop surrounded by Shoshone National Forest and tribal land and wants not to be affected by the noise of the competitive world. She gets rid of her mobile and car to keep away from the modern world.
The house she has purchased needs a makeover, it is old and has collected dust. There is an easy chance of animals like a coyote or a bear being her unwelcomed guests. Edee reads books, trying to learn to survive in this land she has come to. At the same time, she is reminded of the pain and trauma, and she constantly asks herself, “Why am I here anymore?”. The words of her sister Emma, “Don’t hurt yourself,” give her the courage to move forward. She tries to chop firewood and do some fishing but to no avail.
When nothing is working for Edee
In one instance, a bear breaks into her house and eats all her supplies. Edee is left with no supplies and no firewood to keep herself warm. Thus, she tries to shoot herself with the hunting rifle. But reminded by the words of her sister Emma she stops. A snowstorm strikes the place, and her house’s dislodged metal roof needs repairs. But attempting to repair she is hurt and injured. Luckily, a local hunter Miguel (Demian Bichir), sees Edee in need of help, and, assisted by Alawa (Sarah Dawn Pledge), a nurse, they both rescue Edee.
Good-hearted Miguel provides the supplies and takes care of her. He teaches her to hunt and accompanies her for a few days. He also leaves his dog, Potter, to be taken care of by Edee. Edee is thankful to Miguel for his kindness and slowly opens up to the idea of interacting with the world, in other words, to know about life outside the place where she lives.
Miguel shares with Edee his life story of losing his wife and daughter in a car accident. Edee learns to survive all by herself, from hunting to planting a few vegetables, far from being destroyed by the animals. Later, she learns that Miguel is on his deathbed suffering from throat cancer. He tells Edee that he was a drunkard and he was driving the car when the accident happened. He also tells Edee that she has taught him how to die in a state of grace. She, in return, tells him that he has taught her to want to live again.
Land (2021) Ending Explained:
Living alone seems sometimes a solution to all the problems we encounter. It may sometimes make us feel that life is better when we do not interact with the troubled world. But every living condition has its own problems. When Edee thinks that she is safe enough with the supplies she purchased and when she thinks that she can survive in a foreign land without interaction or modern equipment, the presence of animals around her and punishing weather makes her life vulnerable to danger. She didn’t think of a backup or deliberately chose not to have a backup.
What happens to Edee when the bear eats all the supplies?
When she is in a cabin near her house, she hears a bear growling, which walks straight to her home. The bear destroys all her supplies and eats all of them, leaving nothing for Edee. Edee thus is lost and doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t know to hunt, and whatsoever she plants are destroyed by the animals. Thus, Edee thinks to herself that nothing is working.
She loses hope to survive. All her attempts at survival are watered down, and hence she gives up on life. Already she had lost the battle, and yet again, when this tragedy strikes, it affirms her thought to end her life. The bear’s entry into her house symbolizes storms, difficulties, and challenges that can, again and again, come into her life.
The question is whether she will be able to face them bang-on. Edee needs a companion to take care of her. To make her feel loved. And the only persons to do that were her husband, son, and beloved sister. And at the moment, she was just left to herself as she had lost her husband and son and was far away from her sister.
Why does Miguel choose to help Edee?
Miguel was on his way back when he noticed Edee on the floor and chose to help her. Seeking the help of Alawa, a nurse, he medicates Edee. Miguel believes in doing the right thing, and he doesn’t receive the money that Edee wants to pay him for the help rendered. When Miguel lost his wife and daughter, Miguel was the driver, and he was drunk, so he took responsibility for the death of his wife and daughter. Thus, this time when he sees Edee struggle alone, he decides to be alert and responsible. Miguel takes the opportunity to reconcile himself. He learns to forgive himself. And by making this kind gesture, Miguel wants to give hope to Edee.
Miguel helps Edee by taking care of her when she is sick. He helps by accompanying her when she is lonely. He brings her some food supplies, does her medical tests, and gets the reports to Edee. Miguel also teaches Edee to hunt to be able to survive in the foreign land. He helps Edee, respecting her decision to reside in a secluded place. Moreover, Miguel doesn’t enforce his ideas onto her but just calmly accompanies and teaches Edee that there are very many reasons we have at our disposal to choose to survive.
Will Emma Survive All by Herself in Wyoming?
Emma does survive all by herself in Wyoming but not instantly. It is a gradual process. When she goes to Wyoming, she thinks she will survive despite cutting ties with the outside world. Therefore, she instantly gets rid of the car and remains cocooned in the dilapidated house. She gathers all of her supplies only to have them devoured and eaten by a bear later. She loses hope but regains her courage when Miguel comes to her aid. Subsequently, she learns to hunt and also defend herself against wild animals. Miguel, a stranger who helps her without expecting anything in return, teaches her how to survive and live again.
“Land” takes us through a bitter-sweet journey of Edee’s life and makes us think that despite our life being vulnerable, we ought to learn to find meaning and fight to survive no matter what obstacles we may face. And that there are ample reasons to live despite the tragedies that strike us.
Read More: Land [2021]: ‘Sundance’ Review – Robin Wright helms a moving tale about resilience
Land (2021) Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia
Land (2021) Cast: Robin Wright, Demián Bichir, Sarah Dawn Pledge
Where to watch Land
