The film “The Chalk Line”, directed by Spanish director Ignacio Tatai, tells the story of a little girl who was born as a result of violence against her mother. The film is able to touch the soul of any caring viewer.
The plot of the film “The Chalk Line”
The film “The Chalk Line” begins with a wealthy couple, Paula and Simon, who, returning home at night, suddenly meet a little girl walking in the middle of the road. When the baby is taken to the hospital, it turns out that the girl has some health problems, such as kidney damage, and dumbness.
In addition, there is no way to find out who this girl is and where she lives, so no one even knows the name of the child. Only later it turns out that the girl has a reaction to the name Clara, which is the name of one of the nurses in the hospital.
The young patient turns out to be a real mystery, since the baby has a clear social isolation, for example, a girl in a panic runs out of a circle that she draws with chalk on the floor.
The couple develops a strong bond with the young heroine, and ultimately decides to take the child to live with them, because they want the girl to feel safe, thus, there will be an opportunity to learn much more about the baby. The couple cannot even imagine what such a rash decision could lead to.
Soon, strange events begin to occur in the house and in the neighborhood. When Simon calls the police so that the law enforcement officers take the girl, it turns out that the baby is already dead.
What is the meaning of the movie “The Chalk Line”
Desire to become parents
In one of the scenes, Paula can be seen injecting something into herself through a syringe, although it is not specified what it is. However, one can guess that these may be hormonal drugs used in the treatment of infertility.
At some point, the main characters mention that they have been trying to have a baby for the past six years, but without success. For this reason, it is possible and uses this alternative to achieve the desired result. At some point, her husband asks Paula how many cycles she has gone through, and the girl admits that she does this only in order to, in the end, receive news of her pregnancy.
In the end, the cure seems to work, as the main character ends up getting pregnant.
To some extent, the meaning of the film “The Chalk Line” is that the characters are ready to go to great lengths to conceive and give birth to a child.
Who are Clara’s parents?
In this film, most of the information is derived from the characters’ revelations. Such is the case with the identity of Clara’s parents, who are assumed to be Ingrid, a girl who disappeared many years ago, and Eduardo’s kidnapper.
During her investigation, Paula discovers an autopsy report from a young woman who had paper trinkets like Clara’s. The document states that the girl had damaged kidneys, various internal organs, and she was subjected to sexual violence. In addition, it is clarified that the woman suffered from amblyopia, like the missing girl named Ingrid.
Paula also finds a video on the Internet where a man and a woman make paper figures, the same as the found girl Clara likes to do.
Ingrid went missing in 2011 when she was only 12 years old and in 2019 the body of the missing girl was found. Supposedly missing girl. Wherever Ingrid has been for these 8 years, she has been sexually abused, and Clara was born precisely from the rapist, since the girl is now just 6 years old.
When it turns out that it was Eduardo who kidnapped Ingrid, it becomes more than obvious that the man is the father of little Clara.
Was Mati Eduardo’s accomplice?
Attention is drawn to the fact that Mati, Eduardo’s wife, was ready to help the faithful, in order to silence Clara and Paula. However, there are several clues that indicate that the woman did this not out of pleasure, but out of fear of her husband.
When Mati mentions that he wants to visit his children, Eduardo replies that it is not necessary, and thus causes noticeable discomfort to the woman. This behavior may mean that Mati is afraid that the children will be around Eduardo, because she knows what her husband is capable of. Similarly, the kidnapper’s wife always seems nervous and tries to talk carefully to Eduardo, as if she is afraid to say the wrong thing and anger her husband.
It seems that Mati knew that a young woman and a child were locked in the family basement, obviously, the woman had to communicate with them. When it is discovered that Clara is running away from home, Mati asks the girl: “You are Clara, right?”.
Deciding to help Eduardo and not expose the man to the police, the criminal’s wife issues an ultimatum that in return she will be able to leave this place forever with her children. Helping Eduardo, the heroine tries exclusively for the safety of her own children.
How do Eduardo and Mati fall into the trap?
If Mati didn’t hand Eduardo over to law enforcement, then who did? The answer is Paula. Before the girl was attacked and taken to the basement where Ingrid and Clara were held captive, the main character had already managed to call the police to tell the law enforcement officers that the neighbors might have something to do with the disappearance of the woman and the girl.
The officers interrogate the criminal’s wife, but do not get the information they need. However, Simon has already realized that Paula is missing and informs the authorities, who are suspicious of the family they recently spoke to. The police break into Eduardo’s house and arrest the criminal.
Why doesn’t Clara get off the chalk line?
Clara was born and lived all her first years in the basement, in which the girl was kept locked up with her mother. During this time, all the child knew were the four walls of a dark room.
In one of the scenes, Clara mentions that she did not want “mother’s punishment”, so it can be assumed that Eduardo taught the “daughter” to stay within the rules. If the girl disobeys, the mother will be the one to pay the consequences.
Since the girl’s mother is already dead, and the closest person to the child is Paula, it can be assumed that the girl does not want the woman to suffer as much as her mother once did. In addition, it turns out that at a certain point, Eduardo orders the child not to talk, to which the girl obeys, demonstrating dumbness in front of other people.
Having received a psychological trauma, the child will have to rehabilitate for a long time after the experienced nightmare, but next to the girl are Paula and Simon, who are always ready to help and support Clara. Despite the fact that Paula will soon become the mother of a child common with her husband, little Clara will forever remain a daughter for a woman.
Who is Buchman?
In one scene in the film, Clara can be seen screaming out Buchman’s name, raising questions about who it could be. Subsequently, Paula translates this word from German into Spanish and, after trying several options, realizes that the girl says Buhmann, which means “boogeyman”.
This is the name Clara gave Edward when the child had to watch the man come to punish Ingrid. The girl always perceived Edward as a kind of monster who comes into the room to terrorize her mother, doing terrible things to a woman.
