In Brooklyn 45, Maria, Archie and Paul regroup in the devastation of postwar America to support Clive, who is bereft following the death of his wife Susan. As they start to exorcise their metaphorical ghosts, spectres from the past begin to knock, determined to be let in, to the locked room they find themselves trapped in.
The tension between all characters is taut and vivid throughout. We see how long held grudges and secrets have surfaced post war. It’s obvious that those who were involved in the war have never left it and are tormented by a haunting that won’t let them go.
It is great to see a strong woman as one of the protagonists; in clear acknowledgement of the often minimised role women had in the war effort. Maria is a powerful, capable asset who has been confronted by the cowardice of men and paid the price for it. Now, choosing a desk job rather than the field, she’s seen as wasting her potential by her male peers; however, we see how capable of cruelty she is, and also see what it has cost her. This is a film that strives to demonstrate the human cost of war and does so empathically. We are also confronted with the unjust truth; that even when praising her as a merciless, competent and fearsome ally, the men around her will still disregard her expertise over their gut feeling.
If that sounds familiar, given our current global hellscape, then Brooklyn 45 has done its job as a pertinent, prescient exploration of all the ways that as things change, they stay the same.
The film is rich with metaphor and symbolism, in a cohesive and powerful vision from writer and director Ted Geoghegan. We see the dangers of idolising a halcyon past at the expense of the reality of the present. The horrors of racism and xenophobia. The legacy of mistrust that remains in a post war society. There is also a bitingly accurate exploration of the toxicity of patriotism, and the inherent narcissism of defending ‘your country’. Who has the right to stake a claim to a nation, to a country? Toxic masculinity combines with toxic patriotism to create a potent rage that is directed towards anyone who does not fit with the narrow notions of what it means to be ‘an American’. When this is challenged, we see how quickly these systems crumble, leaving anger and violence in their wake. If that sounds familiar, given our current global hellscape, then Brooklyn 45 has done its job as a pertinent, prescient exploration of all the ways that as things change, they stay the same.
Most moving is the exploration of the grief, guilt and trauma of those who have done horrible, even criminal, things for their country. We see how those who followed orders are left behind by a Government who continues to see them as cannon fodder, as expendable weapons of war. We see how the characters in Brooklyn 45 are left to confront their role in WWII and the legacy of death they are left with.
We know that in times of crisis, belief in the paranormal surges. This was true in America (and the UK) during the second world war, with a rise in mediumship, seances and ouija boards. People were desperate to commune with the other side, to speak again to loved ones lost. The veil feels thin when times are hard, and when we are surrounded by death. This is striking in Brooklyn 45, a film that delves into the strangling vines of legacy, and the ghosts of the past. The use of seances, and the existence, and presence of, ghosts, makes this a powerful addition to the ghost story subgenre. It also highlights the existential crisis that postwar society always finds itself in. Where is the space for religion in this new world of violence and death? If God is dead, what about the alternative, that there is nothing else, that only emphasises the pointlessness of such destruction. In this gap, between God and the abyss, people seek an alternative that provides meaning in a world where hope is in short supply. We all need something to believe in, and for Clive, that has become the spectral realm. But we also see the danger of dabbling with what you don’t understand, and how the consequences of this lack of expertise can be deadly.
Ultimately, this is a film about guilt, grief, friendship and regret. The heavy weight of bigotry presses down on the characters, as their paranoia and fear grows. We see that old fears and hatred have poisoned the lives of Clive and Susan, keeping them trapped. There is a strong message throughout about the cost of postwar paranoia, xenophobia and anti-immigration sentiment. We also see how small, sad men with guilty hearts, who cannot be wrong, can change the course of history, and how the lies we tell ourselves can allow us to do terrible things. As the characters in Brooklyn 45 discover, guilt and grief can drive you mad, and the ghosts of the past won’t stay buried, however hard you try.
4/5
Brooklyn 45 is available to watch on Shudder
