Gritt (2021) presents us with an ambiguous protagonist: is she a tragic figure struggling to fit into a world indifferent to her ambition, or a comic embodiment of self-delusion? The answer lies in how we choose to view her.
Gry-Jeanette - or the condensed "Gritt" as she has decided to call herself to accompany her edgy performance artist persona - is going through a difficult time. Almost everyone trying to be an artist fails, though some carry on through failure as mimics, bodgers or indulged self-deceivers. Gritt is one who is failing. I say this not to demoralize anyone, I bear in mind strongly Kipling's suggestion to treat both "success and failure" as "imposters". Trying in and of itself is magnificent, Gritt is magnificent. I was also reminded of a quote from Stay (2005, Forster), "Bad art is more tragically beautiful than good art because it documents human failure" (attributed within the movie to a made-up artist). Watching this movie involves sticking with Gritt through her travails, and it's worth paying attention to a precisely observed drama.
Though we may look between our fingers, the film rewards us with comic relief to ease our encounter with the abject. My favourite bit is Gritt telling a bunch of Syrian refugees about how the prospect of jobs and families were traps or indeed tunnels within what she called "The White Inflammation", her all-embracing concept about a deluded world sleep-walking into ecocidal Armageddon. She cannot understand that those people who have just lost those things, see the prospect of regaining them as paradisiacal. Gritt's perception of the world is shaped by the broader socio-environmental crises she sees around her, and although she may be comically off tune with some of her reflections on that point, at times, her observations hit much closer to the mark.
Gritt's interactions often reflect a deep disconnect between her abstract ideals and the realities others face. In clinical terms, we might say she displays narcissism (making everything about herself) and sociopathy (disregarding the rights and agency of others), but as one character with Down syndrome points out, labels like these can feel reductive, more like a tag in the ear of a cow.
It's perhaps more relevant to think of Gritt in a social context. When thinking about the movie an image appeared in my head of a rainy street at night, and all the doorways and spaces under awnings offering shelter are filled, Gritt runs down the street being pushed away into the torrential rain as she tries to squeeze in. What we call sociopathy and narcissism are perfectly tolerated in those in society who have found their place, are pathologized in the socially isolated. Some of us, like Gritt, find ourselves outside the shelter of society's approval, though we might find stability via emotional self sufficiency and transactional engagement with society, or wearing oilskins to continue the metaphor. We are free to interpret the end of the movie as the start of a descent to madness or a more hopeful trip.
The mathematician Nassim Nicholas Taleb once remarked, provocatively, "In any profession, 90% of people are clueless but work by situational imitation, narrow mimicry & semi-conscious role-playing. Except social "science" and journalism where it is 99% and 100%, respectively." He is right, even if obstreperously, in my estimation, and his observations apply sharply to Gritt, who sprinkles Antonin Artaud's name into conversations after hearing it from an established theatre producer, or picks up the story of Lilith at a party and then regurgitates it without fully grasping her symbolism. Her attempts to create meaning as an artist are as authentic-and perhaps as artificial-as the successful artists who have mastered the performance of creativity.
It is simply fascinating to watch her try to adapt to her situation, finding shelter, and getting involved in art projects. Would she be better off watching staged dating competitions on the television, like one of her settled-down friends? Gritt's mental health has been impacted by climate fear, but whilst she seems completely overwhelmed by the prospect of climate change and biodiversity collapse, is this any less sane than those ignoring the current mass extinction? Scientists warn we are close to a tipping point, where a collapse in the Atlantic Ocean's circulation could have dramatic effects on Scandinavia. As Gritt grapples with this overwhelming reality, it prompts us to ask whether our own inaction is any less rational. The time to act is now. We can help by embracing thrift, reusing and sharing resources, relying more on public transport, and reducing our consumption of animal products.
I'm promoting this movie amongst friends as I'm really interested to see the kind of discussion that comes out of it. Gritt as a movie is like a Necker Cube, it's up to you what you want to see, is this a comedy about a sociopathic wannabe artist, or is it a drama about an authentic woman trying to fit into an inauthentic and crazy world. For me, it's both. Gritt's journey is as tragic as it is comic, and her failures speak to the difficulty of living authentically in a world increasingly hostile to those who don't fit the mold. Her desperation for meaning in a world indifferent to her efforts is both painful and endearing. Her struggle, however misguided, resonates with anyone who has tried and failed to live authentically. Personally, I think the world needs more Gritts-just don't expect your money back.
