Now Showing: The Pull of the Stars

 

The Pull of the Stars

Genre: Drama/Historical/Tragedy

Director: Claire Denis

Writers: Rachel Hallett Hardcastle & Rosie JoLove

Based on the novel by Emma Donoghue

Cast: Daisy Ridley, Thomasin McKenzie, Rebecca Hall, Niamh Algar, Dafne Keen, Bel Powley, Sonia Ammar, Harriet Walter, David Oakes, Finn Cole, Jonathan Bailey

Plot: In 1918, Julia Power (Daisy Ridley) cycles to the tram stop, where she boards a tram to take her to a Dublin hospital where she works as a midwife. The city is plagued by the great flu or grippe, which, combined with the war, causes scarcity of resources. Tomorrow is her 30th birthday.

She finds a young nurse at the hospital entrance who found a dying man on the street and brought him here on a stretcher. Julia finds the male orderlies and asks them to carry the stretcher up.

The staff wears masks to protect themselves at the hospital, but Julia doesn't as she already had a mild form of grippe a few months ago. She was nursed by her brother, who's home from war, whom she lives with.

She heads to the Maternity/Fever room, a makeshift ward for pregnant women infected with the grippe. The night nurse whose shift is now over tells Julia she will be running the ward alone, as her superior is needed in Maternity. This is the first time she has been in charge of her own ward.

There are three cots in the room, one now empty. Julia is sad but focuses on checking the other patients: Ita Noonan (Bel Powley), a poor woman on her 12th pregnancy, and Delia Garret (Sonia Ammar), a wealthy woman on her 3rd pregnancy.

Delia’s vitals are normal, despite her fever and delirium. Her grippe's mild, and she asks to leave. Julia reminds her that even mild cases can cause dangerous complications.

Julia scratches a moon onto the back of her watch, where she marks patients who have died under her care.

Julia does some paperwork then sees that Ita’s fever has risen to 104. She helps her get into a chair to begin changing the sheets herself when Delia insists on going to the restroom urgently. Patients cannot go alone, so Julia asks her to wait, but she says she cannot.

Julia runs to the next ward to ask for more help from the Ward Sister, who tells her no as she only has two patients. She returns and helps Delia to the bathroom. She vomits in the hall on the way.

They return, and Julia changes Ita’s sheets. Dr. Prendergast, the sole doctor on duty, arrives for his rounds. He prescribes whiskey for Ita instead of aspirin to soothe her fever, as aspirin has been poisoning some patients. Prendergast checks Delia’s blood pressure. He says he's going home. Julia asks what doctor will replace him. He says the hospital will send a general practitioner from private practice to work the maternity wards. The doctor is a woman named Dr. Lynn (Rebecca Hall).

A young, thin woman enters the ward, saying Sister Luke (Harriet Walter) sent Julia to aid. She is 22-year-old Bridie Sweeney (Thomasin McKenzie), a non-nurse totally uneducated. Julia accepts her, as she needs help. Julia asks if she has had the grippe before, as only those who already have it, like Julia, are immune. Bridie says yes. She begins teaching her some basic practices. Bridie's kind to Ita, and Julia appreciates her bedside manner.

Julia looks out the bathroom window, seeing an elegant woman in a lavish fur coat approach the hospital. Julia looks at her with disdain.

In the ward, Bridie and Julia discuss their contempt for the expectation that women must have 12 children to be good wives. Bridie is pleased to be in the hospital, amazed at its tea and private lavatories. She has a large burn on her right arm, which she says is from a pot of soup. Bridie did not realize babies were alive in the womb, so Julia showed her photos from a midwifery book.

Groyne (David Oakes), an orderly, brings patient Mary O’Rahilly (Dafne Keen) to the ward in a wheelchair. She is seventeen years old and pregnant for the first time. He gossips with Julia about Dr. Lynn, saying she is a vicar’s daughter turned socialist and suffragette who spent time in jail after tending to injured rebels who started the Easter Rising in 1916.

After Groyne leaves, Julia deduces Mary is in early labor, from asking her about her contractions which are still far apart and feeling for the baby’s position. Mary thinks the baby will come out of her belly button. Julia corrects her, shocked by her ignorance. Mary explains her mother died in childbirth. Julia says hers died similarly, giving birth to her younger brother.

Delia urgently needs the restroom again. Julia sees her go into labor two months prematurely. Delia’s contractions are very close together. Julia sends Bridie to deliver the baby. Delia wails in pain; she reveals she never wanted another baby and believes she's being punished.

Dr. MacAuliffe (Jonathan Bailey) arrives, a surgeon in his early twenties who don't seem knowledgeable about pregnancy. He prescribes chloroform to soothe Delia after Julia insists. He leaves, saying to call him for delivery once the baby’s head is visible, as he cannot stay.

Julia positions Delia for birthing and gives her chloroform. Julia delivers the baby, which is stillborn. Julia sees the baby’s head and tells Bridie to get Dr. MacAuliffe. Julia tells Delia to begin pushing. Bridie returns, saying the doctor's in Men’s Fever and couldn’t leave a message.

Julia prays over the dead baby and waits for Delia to expel. Delia begins hemorrhaging. Julia reached within her uterus to manually remove it, a dangerous procedure usually left to the doctor, to save Delia’s life. Delia is in excruciating pain, but Julia's successful. Dr. Lynn enters the ward, asking what is going on. She's the lady in furs Julia saw earlier.

Lynn confirms that Julia saved Delia’s life and that the baby died before labor. Lynn tells Julia that she has her own practice and runs a free flu clinic. Her areas of particular interest are obstetrics, ophthalmology and insanity.

Lynn checks on the patients with respect and kindness. Julia scratches a short line on her watch for Delia’s baby. Lynn prescribes chloral to relax Mary and notices Ita’s chest congestion. A nurse comes to call Lynn to Women’s Surgical. Lynn authorizes Julia to give the patients medication as she sees fit before leaving.

Bridie compliments Julia on saving Delia’s life. She says perhaps Delia's better off having her child dead. Julia is silently scandalized.

Bride gets food for her and Julia, marveling at the food which doesn't seem appetizing to Julia. They eat, Julia telling Bridie about the extended lunch breaks nurses were allowed before the grippe crisis. Waking up from the chloroform, Julia tells Delta the baby died.

A chaplain arrives, sent by Lynn, to speak to Delia. He's a Catholic priest and Delia's protestant, but he's the only priest available as the protestant reverend is ill. He tries to comfort Delia, who ignores him.

Julia wonders how to aid Ita. She turns to Bridie, and Ita thrashes off her cot, convulsing. Julia tries to protect her, but her breathing stops. Julia dies.

Bridie finds Groyne to carry Ita out. He cannot carry her alone, so he sends two other orderlies to help: Nicols and O’Shea. Nicols wears a copper mask to cover where half his face was blown off in the war, which startles Delia. Julia adds another small circle to her watch for Ita.

Mary reveals she's sad to be away from her brothers and sisters, who she cares for. She formerly worked as a cinder-picker, but her husband didn't like it, so she now does embroidery from home.

Groyne enters carrying a young woman in his arm, their newest patient, as there's a shortage of wheelchairs. On her second pregnancy, the patient, who coughs incessantly, is Honor White (Niamh Algar).

Lynn appears and examines Honor. She prescribes ipecac for her chest and iron pills for anemia. Honor is worried about splitting open, having a brown line in the middle of her stomach. Lynn explains that it's linea nigra, just pigmentation.

Lynn prescribes Honor quinine to soothe her cough. She suggests whiskey, but Honor refuses due to her religion as a devout Christian.

Lynn leaves, and Julia studies Honor's chart. She realizes she's unmarried as no husband’s name is written and tells Bridie not to ask about Honor’s pregnancy situation.

Sister Luke enters to manage the ward; Julia’s shift is over. Luke dismisses Bridie rudely. Julia tells Luke about the patients and leaves, catching up to Bridie.

Julia tells Bridie she lives with Tim (Finn Cole). They talk about movies, and Bridie reveals she has only snuck into the cinema once. Bridie boards in a motherhouse, where members of a convent reside, as Bridie's an orphan who lived in a covenant in the country until a few years ago. Julia compliments Bridie. Lynn approaches Bridie and Julia on the stairs and asks Julia if she can assist her with Ita’s autopsy, as Lynn wants to learn more about the grippe.

They go to the morgue. Lynn blames the high mortality of mothers in Ireland on excessive pregnancies as she dissects parts of Ita. Julia asks Lynn why Julia doesn't work in a big hospital interested in research. Lynn explains she was offered a position but rescinded due to other doctors’ complaints on her gender. She also says now she'll never get a position due to her political past.

Lynn laments the Irish men killed by the British Army, but Julia blames their deaths on Lynn and the “terrorists.” Lynn says she used to think like Julia, wanting a peaceful transition to an independent Ireland, but after “soul-searching,” she became what she calls a terrorist. Lynn tells Julia about Lynn's co-revolutionaries who were force-fed in a British prison. Julia sympathizes with them.

Lynn says pregnancy made Ita more susceptible to grippe. She pulls out the fetus, and Julia sobs looking at him, mourning his death and Ita’s. Lynn finishes the autopsy and leaves to do rounds.

She takes the tram then cycles to her apartment. She greets Tim, who pets his bird by the table, where he waits to have dinner. Tim hasn’t spoken since he returned from the war and was diagnosed with war neurosis. Julia tells him about her day.

They smoke, and Tim surprises Julia with barmbracks, a bread eaten on Halloween with charms hidden in the middle. They used to eat as children. Julia finds a ring in her piece, which means she'll get married within the year. She takes another bite and finds a thimble, meaning she'll be a spinster.

Julia wakes early, and Tim surprises her with a birthday present: chocolate truffles and an orange. Julia cries with happiness.

Julia goes to the hospital for her Maternity/Fever ward shift. Sister Luke tells her Mary’s contractions are closer together. She whispers to Julia that Honor’s piety is insincere; this is her second pregnancy out of wedlock. She explains to Julia that Honor will have to return to the mother-and-baby home run by nuns where unwed pregnant women are sent. They must work for a year after giving birth to work off the cost of being there. Bridie enters, which relieves Julia, worried she wouldn’t return. Sister Luke leaves.

Julia gives Delia, still grieving, a chest binding to stop lactating. Julia instructs Bridie how to apply pressure to Mary to ease her labor pains. Julia tells all the women it is her birthday, which Groyne overhears while bringing a crib for Mary’s delivery. Groyne asks her age. She tells him thirty, and she can vote. He says women don't deserve the vote, as they don't pay the blood tax enlisted men do. Julia says childbirth is the blood tax. Groyne leaves. Julia asks Bridie when her birthday is. Bridie says she was never told her birthday. She was given a foster mother as a baby because her parents couldn't raise her. Julia tells Bridie they can share her birthday.

Dr. Lynn enters the ward. She examines Mary, finding she is ready to begin pushing. Julia gets her into position and gives her chloroform for the pain. Dr. Lynn leaves. Mary pushes, but the fetus makes no progress even after an hour. Julia tells Bridie to tell Dr. Lynn that Julia worries Mary is obstructed.

Bridie says Lynn was in surgery, but she left a message. Bridie also returns with two police officers behind her, looking to arrest Dr. Lynn due to suspicion she'll commit war crimes. Bridie says she couldn't find her, the officers leave.

Julia realizes Mary hasn’t urinated and worries her bladder is blocking the fetus. There’s no doctor to do it; Julia inserts the catheter to drain Mary’s bladder.

Dr. MacAuliffe appears; Julia is frustrated he isn’t Lynn. He decides on pubiotomy surgery to see Mary’s pubic bone in half. Julia wants to protest, the surgery being excruciating with a difficult recovery. A nurse appears with a message from Dr. Lynn to try Walcher’s and that MacAuliffe is needed in the Men’s Fever ward. Julia asks to try Walcher’s position while he leaves the surgery. He reluctantly agrees and leaves.

Mary gives birth to a girl. Julia used the bedrest to raise Mary’s mattress on one side. She positions Mary on the mattress so that her hips are higher than her head. Mary pushes, and the baby’s head emerges. Julia removes the umbilical cord from around the baby’s neck.

Julia checks the baby and finds it healthy. She baths the baby and then feeds the girl. Delia offers advice on feeding the baby. Mary falls asleep, and Julia places the baby in the crib.

Julia leaves the peaceful ward to Bridie while she finds a doctor to sign the birth certificate. She looks for Dr. Lynn specifically. She finds Dr. Lynn in her office, listening to opera. Julia notices pillows and blankets. Lynn reveals she's sleeping in the hospital to hide from the police. She says she isn't planning anything, but the police have made up a fictional plot to arrest those involved in the risings.

Julia sees a photo of Lynn and a woman on her desk. Lynn says it is the dear friend she lives with, Miss French-Mullen. Lynn asks about Mary’s baby. Julia says Dublin’s infant mortality rate Dublin is 15% and much higher for illegitimate babies. She mentions that the rebels’ proclamation says that all nation children should be cherished equally.

Julia asks why the nation should be founded on violence. Lynn says that's the only way. Julia reminds her that 500 people died at the rising. Lynn says the government already commits mass murder through poverty. Lynn tells her about the opera playing, and Julia leaves.

Julia gets food for the ward and returns to Honor, saying she wet the bed. Julia realizes that her water broke. Honor has had contractions but didn’t tell Julia. Julia feels her stomach and realizes the fetus faces up the wrong way. Julia tells Bridie to get Dr. Lynn.

Julia positions Honor in a chair tells her to lean forward in hopes the fetus will rotate. The baby hasn’t shifted, but Honor becomes fully dilated, so Julia lays her down to begin pushing. Honor refuses any drugs for pain.

Honor begins hemorrhaging. Dr. Lynn enters and examines Honor. She asks Julia for forceps to extract the baby. Honor becomes weaker, which prevents her from pushing. Lynn wonders what to do. Honor’s blood pressure drops, and Lynn says she needs a blood donation. Julia offers herself, as the hospital is low, and she has type O, the universal donor.

Lynn injects Julia and Julia injects Honor, but Honor begins wheezing and breaks out into hives: her body rejects the transfusion. They stop the blood immediately. Lynn retakes the forceps, needing to act quickly before Honor loses too much blood. She succeeds, Honor gives birth to a baby boy. The boy was born with a cleft lip but is healthy. Julia and Bridie wash him as Lynn monitors Honor, whose bleeding slowly stops.

Julia asks Honor if Honor wants to hold her baby, but she says nothing. Julia places him next to her, and she cries but doesn't touch him.

Lynn suggests Julia sleeps in the hospital tonight to save her strength since she donated blood. Sister Luke enters to switch with Julia as the day shift is over. Julia and Bridie leave.

Bridie reads a war poster outside the ward which blames those who died of the grippe for not resting to avoid death. Julia mocks it and asks Bridie if she'd like to sleep in the nurse dorms. She agrees, but they find the dormitory converted into a ward.

Julia suggests they go to the roof for air, where they sit wrapped in blankets, looking at the stars. Julia shows Bridie her watch and its markings. They discuss Honor’s baby and Mary. Bridie says Mary’s husband beats her; she can tell by her bruises. Julia feels naïve for not realizing earlier.

Julia asks Bridie to tell her about the orphanage. She tells her that the girls always smelled of urine, as they didn't waste laundry by washing the sheets when they wet the bed. She says they got beaten often for minor mistakes. They always starved and had to work, knitting, praying, caring for the minor children to earn their stay. Julia is outraged, saying the government pays the nuns for the care of each child. Bridie asks to stop talking about it.

Julia remembers her birthday gifts and offers them. They enjoy them, and Julia tells Bridie that Tim's mute. Bridie says she's lucky to have a brother.

They realize it's past midnight, now All Souls Day. Julia says she'd pray for her mother. She is angry thinking of the mothers who die in childbirth every day. Bridie says their death is Julia’s fight, as she saves the mothers and babies. Bridie says these two days were the happiest of her life: saving patients and meeting Julia. Julia suggests she become a nurse, but Bridie says she is still debt to the nurses.

Bridie wants to talk about something fun, and Julia tells her about movies. They discuss children, and Julia says she'll not have any because she missed her time and isn't exactly beautiful. Bridie says she is beautiful and kisses her.

They kiss and keep talking between kissing, discussing war, and Julia tells Bridie about Tim’s best friend Liam, killed next to him in war. She wonders if their relationship was romantic. They fall asleep.

They wake, and Julia says she wants to knock down Bridie’s orphanage. Bridie recounts the crying babies, as the girls were given a baby to care for once they were eight, beaten if the charge misbehaved or fell ill. She regrets stealing her charge’s food to survive. She tells Julia she is dirty and recounts the sexual abuse. Julia says this dirt isn’t hers. Men approach the rooftop, so Julia and Bridie leave. They get breakfast, as it is now morning.

They return to the ward and greet Sister Luke, who leaves. Delia tells Julia that Lynn has discharged her to heal at home. Julia checks on Honor and Mary, noticing the bruises on Mary’s wrist. Julia shows Bridie how to feed Honor’s baby. Groyne appears with a wheelchair for Delia. She says goodbye and leaves with him.

Julia asks Mary if Mary's husband ever loses his temper, subtly asking if he hits her. Mary confirms that Julia and Bridie tell her to tell him she'll not tolerate that anymore for her child’s safety. Mary agrees.

Julia checks on Honor, realizing she is dead. Bridie fetches Dr. Lynn, who attributes the death to the grippe’s strain on her heart, exacerbated by labor.

Lynn then checks on Mary, her newborn, and Honor’s baby. She tells Julia about her and her partner's plan to find a hospital for poor babies and a home in the country for their mothers. Julia notes the baby will be sent to an institution. Lynn leaves, and Bridie asks if she can carve a marking on Julia’s watch for Honor, who agrees.

Groyne arrives to take away Honor. He talks about her death euphemistically, and Julia snaps, asking if her death's a joke. He leaves, and Bridie asks why she is so tough on Groyne. Bride reveals he's a widower who also lost his children. Julia regrets her anger.

Julia tells Bridie they must baptize Honor’s baby, as the priest is away. She asks Bride to be his godmother and says they must pick a name. Julia picks Barnabas, similar to the Gaelic word for hare-lipped.

After the baptism, Julia notices Bridie is very thirsty. She remembers her coughing and sneezing earlier and realizes she is showing symptoms of the grippe. Julia says it cannot be grippe as Bridie already had it. Bridie admits she only had an ordinary flu but lied to Julia as she could tell Julia needed help.

Julia notices Bridies’ cheeks are flushed red. She makes her lie in a cot and begins treating her. She goes to the next ward and asks them to fetch a doctor. Julia gives Bridie water and covers her with shawls for her fever. She notices Bridie’s color deepen to brown.

Dr. Lynn appears and realizes Bridie has fluid leaking into her tissues. She tells Julia to keep treating her and that she'll be back.

Bridie turns blue, and Julia runs to look for Dr. Lynn. She finds her being taken away by the police.

Bridie turns black and dies. Julia is devastated and sobs frantically. After barely holding herself together, she returns to the ward.

Sister Luke returns for the night shift. Julia tells her she'll take her annual leave and adopt Barnabas, feeling that Bridie would want her to keep him out of the pipe. Sister Luke tries to dissuade her. She tells Julia she needs to get permission from Father Xavier, who has just returned to the hospital.

Julia goes to Father. He warns her that the child is below her class and could degenerate. Julia says she doesn't care, and he agrees.

Julia returns and finds Sister Luke and Barnabas missing. Mary tells Julia Sister Luke took him.

Julia runs out of the hospital towards the mother-and-baby home, seeing Sister Luke and the baby. Julia runs to her and demands the child, berating Sister Luke for Bridie’s abuse. Sister Luke begrudgingly hands over the child. Julia returns home, thinking that Tim will help raise him.