Tilda and Joanna Swinton, both British actors and directors, have been friends for many years. Swinton appeared as the director in Hogg’s 1986 short Caprice. was her final project for England’s National Film and Television School. Swinton, along with her daughter Honor Swinton Byrne starred in Hogg’s The Souvenir (2019) as well as its 2021 follow-up. In the Eternal Daughter – a mysterious mystery that takes place in a foggy and eerie hotel, their collaboration has reached new heights.
Swinton performs two roles in the movie. Swinton plays Rosalind first, an older woman who travels to a hotel with Julie, her daughter. These names may sound familiar because Honor and Tilda played mother-daughter roles in The Souvenirfilms. The ghosts of those classic films are present in this gothic story, which is reminiscent of Classical Hollywood’s “woman films”. What could be a higher compliment than that?
The opening of the movie sets the tone for the entire film. With the soundtrack being a flute tune and the long drive on a foggy, remote road, it immediately establishes the mood and the atmosphere. Hogg captures that perfect blend of creepy and cozy. It’s the kind of creepy that makes you want to hide under a blanket and cover your eyes. This is the same duality that Swinton’s Julie feels in the movie. Their family used to live in the Wales hotel where they are staying. Rosalind tells stories about growing up in Liverpool, and hearing bombs nearby during World War II. Julie’s trip is filled with many good memories. Her mother is a special person to her, and she loves spending time together. When she is walking the grounds at night or in the evening, her thoughts are haunted by sounds, wind, and emotions.
The film is largely a fantasy. Julie and Rosalind appear to be the only two guests in the hotel. They are treated rudely by the clerk ( Carly Sophia Davies ), who is also a server at the restaurant. These moments add a comic relief to a serious film, but they also leave viewers feeling even more confused. We don’t know what is going on, but something has to be done. We don’t know what the mystery is until we solve it.
Swinton is able to convey the pain of the relationship between mother and daughter in her two performances. Julie is racked with guilt. She does her best to take care of her mother. She also wants her to tell stories from the past for a movie she’s working on. She sometimes records her mother’s reluctant responses without consent. Hogg and Swinton portray a relationship which is not only loving, but also intimate. This kind of relationship shows how close we can get to people without knowing them fully. Hogg uses shot/reverse shots to capture Julie and Rosalind talking. This decision, which was probably made out of ease in shooting just one actor, has the added effect of escalating that feeling. Showing that despite being physically near, there is an emotional gap.
The Eternal Daughter, in the spirit of great Gothic films like Rebecca (1940), understands how homes act as sponges that soak up emotions and memories even after the people who once lived in them have passed away. The mother comforts her daughter after Julie brings up a painful memory from Rosalind. “That is what rooms do.” Julie develops a friendship with Bill, the hotel night manager (Joseph Mydell), and he tells her about his late wife. They share memories about their family and are isolated.
Bill and Julie discuss the subject of memory. Bill tells stories about walking on the grounds and having memories of his wife return to his mind. The film places a lot of emphasis on physical space in the building, and their exchange reflects that. The long hallway shots that bookend the dialogue-heavy scenes, at times with Julie hurrying through them or other times with just empty night shots are a great way to break up the heavy conversation. Memory is fluid. Memory is fluid. It comes to us as we travel the globe. We are faced with ghosts of the past, whether they be human or not.
Swinton is equally captivating in the roles of Julie or Rosalind. Hogg gets us up close to hear and see nearly all of the words and movements she makes. We remain just at the right distance for mystery. We become more confused as we learn more about her. This is an impressive blend of direction and performance.