DramaLit Blog 1.0: BU School of Theatre

Let me give a shout out to all my Advanced Physical Acting comrades!

On Friday I watched Lars von Trier’s Melancholia starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Kirsten Dunst. Aside from it just being a stunning movie, I was struck by one major trait.  Lengthy, pithy silences were more present than dialogue in the film.  Firstly, I thought, “Oh, how Pinteresque,” but then I recalled our chakra work in Elaine’s class.

The throat chakra is connected to expression, communication, and truth.  It also links the instinctual lower chakras to the intuitive higher chakras.  Elaine frequently says that we use our throat chakra when we speak, yes, but we also use it when we decide not to speak.  Silence is also an expression of the throat chakra.

SPOILER ALERT: The most prominent silence for me was when John (Keifer Sutherland) was on the patio with Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg).  In the previous scene John had confirmed that “Melancholia” (the planet which was to collide into Earth and thus destroy it) was not going to enter Earth’s atmosphere.  Claire is sleeping on the patio chair and John has just decided to reassess Melancholia’s distance.  He says nothing, but is visibly upset.  He checks again.  He exits without saying a word and later we see that he left to commit suicide.  Through all those actions not a word was spoken but the story was undeniably clear.  John discovers he was wrong, that the world will indeed end, he makes the decision to not tell his wife, and then he kills himself.

Woohoo! The Silent Throat Chakra in action, my friends.