What’s the best movie birth scene? Poor Emily Blunt had to give birth in a tub in silence in “A Quiet Place” (2018). Meanwhile the birth of Satan’s child was pleasingly off-screen in “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968). Even non-human entities have had birth scenes on film if you want to look (or look away) from the chest-burster scene in “Alien” (1979).
“Pieces of a Woman”—the English-language debut of Hungarian film-maker Kornel Mundruczo—sets new records for birth scenes and “One Born Every Minute” grossness as it features a whopping, 22-minute birth scene designed to look like it was shot in one take. All I can say is that must have been painful to film!
“Pieces of a Woman” is the story of Boston couple Sean (Shia LaBeouf) and Martha (Vanessa Kirby). Sean is a long-suffering construction worker while Martha works as an executive. They are expecting their first child together any day now and hope to have a home birth as this is Martha’s greatest wish.
Martha goes into labour one evening and the couple phone up their midwife, but she is unavailable and so sends another midwife named Eva (Molly Parker) in her place. After a long period of pushing, Eva manages to successfully deliver Martha’s baby, but is concerned when the newborn turns blue. Very quickly, the baby goes into cardiac arrest and dies.
Martha and Sean attend the coroner, having been pressured by Martha’s mum Elizabeth (Ellen Burstyn) that Eva was responsible for their baby’s death. They begin legal proceedings against Eva while the couple grapple hopelessly with the sudden and quick loss of their child…
“Pieces of a Woman” sets new records for graphic birth scenes. Its depiction of childbirth is realistic and grueling and clearly well-researched. From the cold gel placed on Martha’s stomach by Eva for an ultrasound, to the pained noises made by Martha when in labour, to even words of encouragement like “that’s it, girl,” this birth scene could easily substitute for any educational video about this very painful process of procreation.
Vanessa Kirby, who has already wowed audiences as Princess Margaret in “The Crown” (2016—), commits herself superbly to the tough ordeal. Her screams, grunts and growls really made me believe she was going through the most painful thing a woman can ever go through. I also found a scene where she lactates through her shirt when she sees a little girl in a shop particularly moving. It’s a strong suggestion of the emotional and psychological toll the aftermath of childbirth can leave on the mother.
Shia LaBeouf is very fine too as long-suffering husband Sean. He was always so supportive and comforting during the birth and is equally heartfelt in the aftermath. Scenes of him breaking down in tears while swinging on a pole next to the Charles River really encapsulate that it is not just the mother who bears the brunt of losing the child, but the dad too. A moving watch.
The theme of grief is a strong one throughout this film, and Martha and Sean each have different ways of dealing with it. Sean tries to engage Martha in sex, but she is turned off and cannot get excited the way he does. There’s a suggestion that Sean uses sex as an escape from the trauma of child loss along with returning to snorting cocaine.
The grief scenes are the movie’s strongest and therefore it’s a shame the central courtroom coroner’s case that leads the movie is underwritten. I really didn’t care about Eva the midwife, and couldn’t give a monkey’s about whether or not she was responsible for the baby’s death. This court case should have been the beating heart of the drama, but feels very tacked-on and builds to a rather hackneyed and sentimental resolution.
That being said, there’s a strong supporting performance from Ellen Burstyn as the ultra-conservative mother of Martha who lays the blame at Eva’s feet.
I couldn’t shake the feeling, thought, that the movie had no idea what to do with itself after the suitably horrific birth scene. It felt like all of Director Kornél Mundruczo’s energy was drained on birthing a child and then didn’t have a clue where to go for the next hour and 40 minutes.
Vanessa Kirby deserves Academy Award attention for her performance as Martha and maybe LaBeouf does too. But this moving, meandering drama was too often a case of great performances, shame about the rest of the movie…
“Pieces of a Woman” is on Netflix now.
