The Americans: Mapping the Cold War Within

by | Dec 6, 2024 | Cartographics, Film Reviews, Musings

The Americans (2013–2018) delves into the quiet, unnerving duality of espionage during the Cold War—not in grand, sweeping battles of ideology, but in the most intimate spaces of identity, family, and loyalty. At its core, The Americans asks what it means to live between worlds and examines the invisible lines we draw within ourselves and between those we love. I would argue that while the show’s premise revolves around espionage, its real territory is psychological, exploring the inner landscapes of duty, deception, and identity formation.

Identity as Terrain: Navigating the Self in Two Worlds

The most powerful exploration in The Americans is that of identity as a shifting, unstable terrain. Philip and Elizabeth Jennings are tasked with an impossible balancing act: they must fully inhabit an American identity to avoid detection, while maintaining loyalty to a Soviet self that is constantly tested and redefined. Over time, this split existence erodes the clear boundaries of who they are, not only to others but to themselves. The resulting tension is profound: The Americans is less a series about spying and more a meditation on identity as contested ground.

Elizabeth and Philip’s transformation over time speaks to the concept of performative identity—the idea that identity is not fixed but is constantly constructed through our interactions and performances in the world. For Philip, the act of being American gradually ceases to be a mere role and starts to reshape his sense of self, making him question the beliefs he’s fought to uphold. Elizabeth, on the other hand, resists this transformation, seeing American life as an artifice, a performance necessary only for her mission.

For viewers, this raises complex questions: Can we sustain an identity built on deception? And how much of ourselves are we willing to sacrifice for loyalty to something greater? Philip’s quiet struggle with these questions plays out in subtle but deeply impactful ways, reminding us that identity is not only a matter of birth or nationality but something that is shaped and reshaped with each choice, each action, and each compromise.

The Family as Cartography of Conflict

What makes The Americans exceptional is its exploration of family as a landscape of ideological conflict. For the Jennings, family life is a delicate balancing act of authenticity and deceit. Every interaction with their children Paige and Henry becomes a navigational challenge, forcing Philip and Elizabeth to conceal not only their missions but their very selves. This concealment turns family life into a territory fraught with unspoken loyalties and dangerous half-truths, where love and duty constantly clash.

As Paige grows older, she begins to intuit the fissures within her family and the inconsistencies between her parents’ actions and their words. This shift in the family dynamic forces Philip and Elizabeth to confront the consequences of their double lives: What does it mean to raise children in a home built on secrets? And can a family truly be a safe space when it’s embedded in deception?

Paige’s gradual awareness of her parents’ true identities introduces a further complexity. She becomes a kind of cultural intermediary, pulled between the American values she has internalized and the Soviet ideology her parents try to instill. Her journey of discovery not only destabilizes the family but also becomes a map of conflicted generational and ideological loyalty. In this way, the family is more than a unit of love and security; it becomes a terrain where identities collide, boundaries are drawn and redrawn, and conflicting loyalties shape each member in unpredictable ways.

Intimate Geographies of Loyalty and Deception

Loyalty in The Americans operates not in sweeping patriotic gestures but in the daily, quiet decisions to stay committed to a cause, a country, or a person. Philip and Elizabeth’s work forces them to become cartographers of intimacy, mapping out which parts of themselves they can safely reveal and which must be hidden, even from each other. Their marriage, initially a practical arrangement, becomes an intricate choreography of loyalty and betrayal, where both intimacy and secrecy are forms of survival.

Their interactions with others—friends, lovers, neighbors—further blur the lines between the personal and the ideological. Stan Beeman, their FBI agent neighbor, becomes both friend and potential threat, illustrating the fragile borders of loyalty and deception that define their world. With each passing season, the Jennings’ loyalty to their Soviet mission is continually tested not by external forces but by the quiet, powerful pull of personal connections they form on American soil.

This exploration of loyalty as a geography of the self highlights the idea that commitment to a cause is not simply about allegiance to a nation but a process of self-definition. For Elizabeth, loyalty is ironclad—a sense of duty embedded so deeply in her that it becomes the bedrock of her identity. Philip, however, feels the instability of that ground. As his connections deepen within American society, his loyalty to the Soviet mission falters, underscoring how loyalty is not a fixed point on a map but a shifting landscape, shaped by relationships, emotions, and the erosion of ideological clarity.

Emotional Surveillance and the Weight of Invisibility

Surveillance in The Americans is not just about watching and being watched; it’s about living with the constant weight of invisibility and the existential loneliness that comes with it. Philip and Elizabeth live under intense pressure to conceal their true identities, and this invisibility takes a toll. In some ways, they are always in hiding—not just from others but from themselves. This existential surveillance shapes every aspect of their lives, creating an unspoken understanding that at any moment, a misstep could unravel everything.

But this surveillance is not limited to their roles as spies; it permeates their family life, where the “normalcy” they must project to their children is yet another form of concealment. Philip’s growing fatigue and disillusionment reflect the toll of constantly surveilling his own behavior, thoughts, and even emotions. For Elizabeth, this internal surveillance becomes an almost militant form of self-control, a refusal to let sentimentality or vulnerability penetrate her resolve.

In this way, The Americans explores surveillance as an inner geography of confinement, showing how people can become both the watchers and the watched in their own lives. The Jennings’ experience reveals how ideological commitment can restrict the self, forcing them to police their own emotions and thoughts in ways that slowly but surely erode their identities. It’s a stark reminder of the human cost of ideological warfare, where the mind becomes the battleground and the self is both weapon and casualty.

Conclusion: The Inner Cartographies of Espionage and Identity

The Americans is, at its heart, an exploration of the landscapes we create within ourselves. While espionage may be the series’ surface appeal, the true intrigue lies in the Jennings’ navigation of identity, loyalty, and love within a web of lies. The show reveals that the most profound conflicts are not played out on national stages or battlefields but in the spaces of personal connection, where every choice is a line drawn between who we are and who we must pretend to be.

Philip and Elizabeth’s journey reveals that living between two identities is not just a logistical challenge; it is an emotional and psychological geography, a place where self-deception, love, and duty overlap in ways that are often painful and profound. In this way, The Americans asks its audience to consider the borders we draw in our own lives—the invisible lines of loyalty, the boundaries between public and private selves, and the spaces within us that we reserve for those we love, even when love and loyalty seem impossible to reconcile.

Through these intimate, psychological landscapes, The Americans turns espionage into a human story, a map of inner conflicts, shifting loyalties, and the quiet resilience it takes to live a double life. For cultural geographers, the series is a reminder that sometimes, the most complex terrains are not those of cities or nations but the inner landscapes of identity, where loyalties clash, selves are made and remade, and the cost of belonging is never truly paid.

GIEI Film Review: As Bestas (2022)

by | Oct 3, 2024 | Film Reviews

Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s As Bestas (2022) is an atmospheric and tense exploration of isolation, belonging, and conflict, set against the rugged backdrop of rural Galicia, Spain. The film follows Antoine and Olga, a French couple who move to a depopulated village to pursue their dream of organic farming. However, their presence soon ignites deep-seated tensions with the local farmers, Xan and Lorenzo, leading to a dangerous confrontation. Through its masterful use of geography, language, and the theme of depopulation, As Bestas paints a complex portrait of a community grappling with its shrinking future and the arrival of outsiders.

 

Geographical Context: Rural Galicia as a Character

The rugged, remote landscapes of Galicia are not just a backdrop in As Bestas—they actively shape the film’s narrative. The film is set in a village that feels isolated, abandoned, and deeply connected to its physical environment. The mountains, dense forests, and winding roads create a sense of enclosure, intensifying the psychological tension between the characters.

The geography of the region mirrors the emotional and cultural isolation felt by the characters, particularly the locals who see their world shrinking due to depopulation. The land in Galicia has historically been tied to identity and survival, and in As Bestas, it becomes a battleground for control, belonging, and the future.

Depopulation: A Dying Way of Life

Depopulation is a central theme that defines the village’s sense of fragility and desperation. Like many rural regions in Spain, Galicia has experienced a significant loss of population, with younger generations leaving for cities and more prosperous regions. This exodus leaves behind older residents struggling to maintain their way of life. In As Bestas, this reality permeates the interactions between the characters, particularly the tension between the local farmers and the French couple.

The villagers’ attachment to the land is not merely economic; it is deeply emotional and cultural. For Xan and Lorenzo, the shrinking population represents the gradual erosion of their identity and their community’s way of life. The potential wind turbine project—one of the few economic opportunities available—becomes a symbol of this desperation. The local farmers view it as a lifeline, while Antoine, with his idealistic vision of sustainable farming, opposes it, seeing it as exploitation. This clash is more than a disagreement over land use; it is a reflection of the larger struggle to hold on to a disappearing world in the face of modern pressures.

The village’s dwindling population also amplifies the tension between locals and outsiders. In a community where each resident plays a vital role, the arrival of newcomers like Antoine and Olga is seen as a potential threat to the already fragile balance. The economic pressures brought on by depopulation create an atmosphere of territoriality and suspicion, as the remaining villagers become fiercely protective of their land and way of life.

Language: A Barrier and a Tool of Conflict

In As Bestas, the multilingualism of the characters—Spanish, Galician, and French—plays a significant role in shaping the film’s narrative and tension. Language acts as both a bridge and a barrier between the French couple and the local villagers. Antoine and Olga’s reliance on Spanish to communicate, while functional, marks them as outsiders in a community where Galician is the dominant language. Galician, more than just a language, is a marker of local identity and cultural continuity, and its use among the locals reinforces the couple’s sense of otherness.

The linguistic divide becomes even more pronounced in moments of conflict. Xan and Lorenzo often speak in Galician, particularly when tensions rise, as a way to assert their dominance and control over the conversation. For Antoine and Olga, this creates a sense of vulnerability, as they are unable to fully grasp the nuances and subtexts of the local language. Even though Antoine speaks Spanish, his accent and occasional struggles with fluency reinforce the divide between him and the locals, adding another layer of isolation.

This linguistic tension reflects the larger theme of miscommunication in the film. Language is not just a practical tool for dialogue but a symbol of deeper cultural and emotional divides. Antoine and Olga, despite their efforts to integrate into the community, are unable to fully understand or be understood by the villagers, and this lack of connection ultimately drives the story towards its tragic conclusion.

Isolation: Physical, Emotional, and Cultural

The isolation in As Bestas is both geographical and psychological. The village’s remote location, surrounded by mountains and forests, creates a physical barrier between the characters and the outside world. This physical isolation is mirrored in the emotional distance between the locals and the outsiders. For Antoine and Olga, the isolation is not just about geography; it is about their inability to break into the social and cultural world of the village. Despite their best intentions, they remain outsiders in a place where everyone else is deeply connected to the land and each other.

For the locals, this isolation is a source of both pride and pain. Xan and Lorenzo are fiercely protective of their territory, but they are also painfully aware of the village’s shrinking future. The isolation breeds a sense of defensiveness, as the villagers become increasingly wary of anything that threatens their control over their land and their way of life.

Conflict: Modernity vs. Tradition

At the heart of As Bestas is the conflict between modernity and tradition. Antoine and Olga represent a forward-looking vision of rural life, with their emphasis on sustainable farming and eco-tourism. However, this vision clashes with the villagers’ need for economic survival. The wind turbine project, seen by the locals as a necessary step towards securing their future, becomes the catalyst for the conflict.

This tension between modernity and tradition is not only economic but also cultural. Antoine and Olga’s idealism feels out of place in a community that is struggling with the realities of rural decline. The film suggests that even well-meaning efforts to “improve” a place can be seen as invasive when they come from outsiders who do not fully understand the local dynamics.

Conclusion: Geography, Language, and Depopulation as Catalysts for Tension

As Bestas is a powerful exploration of how geography, language, and depopulation shape human conflict and relationships. The remote landscapes of Galicia are not just a setting but a force that drives the characters’ actions and emotions. Depopulation, with its accompanying economic and social decline, creates a heightened sense of territoriality and fear, while the language barrier deepens the divide between the locals and the outsiders.

Through its rich portrayal of these themes, As Bestas offers a haunting look at the fragility of rural life in the face of modern pressures. The film’s tense, slow-burning narrative reveals the complexities of community, belonging, and the struggle to hold on to a way of life that is rapidly disappearing. In the end, As Bestas is not just a story of interpersonal conflict, but a meditation on the larger forces—geography, language, and depopulation—that shape the human experience in isolated, shrinking communities.