Josie Packard is a Survivor of Rape
Warning: This post contains content some may find disturbing.
A scene in episode thirteen (2.006, Demons) opens with a close shot of Jonathan Kumagai's semi-bare waist as he fastens his belt. The camera moves from his body to that of a reclining woman, slowly lingering over her legs, her posterior, exposed back, and finally her face. The woman is Josie Packard, and as she rises from the couch, pulling together her unzipped dress, you can see that she's crying. * As she and Jonathan speak, Josie is emotionally raw, while Jonathan is boastful and cruel. It's hard to deny that we're witnesses to the aftermath of rape, though this isn't always acknowledged. If the subject is voiced, it is often with disbelief or hesitance, which may be because Josie is most often seen as a morally corrupt character. Were the scene to contain two other characters in the same circumstance, would there be as much resistance to state the obvious? For example, if Audrey Horne were in a similar situation with Emory Battis or Jean Renault would fans be as reluctant to use the word rape?
The script for the episode references Josie's fear of Jonathan. It also says, "She sits up, unsteady, as if she had been assaulted" which seems more than indicative of rape.
In the televised episode, Josie obviously does not want to be touched by Jonathan. He, in my opinion, is aware of this and wants to inspire fear. The script appears to suggest Jonathan feels a sense of ownership. He knows Josie won't fight back; she can't, and he is free to do as he wishes. Hence his behavior and desire to gloat. His violence. Nothing about their relationship is consensual. Jonathan is totally in control.
Mak Takano, the actor who portrayed Jonathan says the following in this interview, "The rape scene with Joan Chen was nominated by the Directors Guild as the best episode, and, in large part, that was because of Leslie's passionate directing style."
It's difficult to not feel sympathy for Josie. In the earliest episodes and scripts, there are glimpses of other avenues never explored regarding Josie. This, in my opinion, also includes the possibility of her innocence.
The Twin Peaks Gazette Volume 1, Number 2, (March 1991) quotes Joan Chen as saying, "It's been interesting. I've never played a part like this one. She changes so much. There are many different writers... this happens with television. You can really expand and integrate all these parts into this one character?" And also, (of Josie) "I don't see her as a villainess. The circumstances the writers put her in... she had to do what she had to do, and everything she did got her into more trouble which led to more, until it got to be so much no writer knew what to do with her." Josie's character, as Joan Chen said, seems to have consistently undergone change.
Though Lesli Linka Glatter is a gifted director, one objectionable choice is her decision to linger on Josie's body after she's been raped. Ms. Chen seems to move at someone's command, as she is motionless until apparently given a cue. The way the scene is filmed seems to objectify Josie. I think this is
another reason why some viewers are hesitant to accept that they're
witnessing the aftermath of rape. You don't expect a survivor to be
sexualized.
A costume continuity Polaroid describes the scene as "Jonathan Ravages Josie".
"Ravaged" may be a description of Jonathan's actions toward Josie. However, the person who wrote the description for the costume continuity Polaroid also may have meant to write "ravish." I've often seen the words interchanged. The definition of ravish follows, courtesy of the Mirriam-Webster dictionary,
transitive verb
Synonyms listed on the Merriam-Webster dictionary site,
Synonyms for ravish
Synonyms
* Josie's tears can best be seen on Blu-Ray on a 4K television. When she is shown in a close-shot, her tears aren't visible suggesting the scene is a combination of takes.
Comments
Post a Comment