Taking a dip
The narrative possibilities of pools in film
We’ve been having a long, hot summer which is unheard of in the UK. Lingering sunny days that slip into one another, not the usual stop-start of sun, rain, grey that bugs my body out and causes the daily fuss of layers. As the chill of autumn creeps in, I’m not quite ready to let go of the lazy summer feeling. I’ve gotten used to shitty summers but this year, indulging in the heat has led me to think about pools and their significance on screen.
Pools are great - built for purpose. I like their artificial aspect. Dip in, cool down, come out, lie down. Wash away the chlorine smell or keep it clinging onto your skin. I associate pools with hot countries and escape, so naturally this romanticised element leans itself well into film. Rich in narrative possibility. They invite movement, play, stillness, heat. Nakedness, wealth, relaxation and hedonism all merge into one, as characters’ stories unfold by the sparkling water.
Pools in film simply work. Pools that glimmer at the centre of drama, pools that dictate days, pools that entice action and invite us to gaze and wonder. A few that have been replaying and will continue to as the last slithers of sun creep away </3
Sexy Beast - of course. Sexy Beast is always at the front of my mind (and on the ever-changing letterboxd top four), and the pool has a lot to do with it. Not just Peaches playing over a sizzling Ray in that perfect intro but how it is used throughout. We start and end with the pool. Two perfectly tacky hearts representing Gal’s escape from a life of criminality, into a Spanish paradise with his wife Deedee. Moments by the pool mark the crushing of this dream, as he is forced back into one last big job.
La Piscine A great example of the pool’s eroticism driving a film’s drama. I always loved this for the style - Jane Birkin prancing around in 1969 and clean, sexy cuts. Last summer I went to a screening at the amazing Kino-Teatr, coincidentally on the dayAlain Delon’s death was announced. It was a special moment for everyone in that room. I’d just come from a dip in the sea, feeling salty as the sun-soaked scened unfolded.
The legacy of La Piscine led to Swimming Pool + A Bigger Splash, where desire is explored through intertwining love lives and the pool offers a space where sex is inescapable.
Little Children - A masterpiece in suburban discontent, with one of the most dramatic pool scenes. The complexities of this moment are felt through uneasiness, when a recently paroled sex offender snorkels in the town’s lido surrounded by children. The dispersing of the crowd, sudden panic and public humiliation are heightened.
Water Lilies - Céline Sciamma continuously portrays girlhood with sensitivity. Her debut-feature focuses on attraction, love and desire centring around the pool. Adèle Haenel and Céline Sciamma have since created beautifully captivating work like Portrait of a Lady on Fire that explore the relationship between desire, looking, being-looked-at. Adèle Haenel recently announced she is joining the Global Sumud Flotilla. We love Adèle.
Boogie Nights - Quite simply a ridiculously good pool scene. The camera following snippets of conversations, capturing the energy of action in and out of the water.
Bad Education - A direct reference to David Hockney’s A Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures) bringing this painting to life.
I’ll add to this list at some point, but for now just dreaming of taking a dip.