Review of Nora (2000) by Jim H — 12 Jun 2013

James Joyce and Nora Barnacle fall in love, but societal pressures and sexual obsession complicate their relationship.

When I write the one-sentence plot summary in my reviews, I try to find the central conflict; however, finding the central conflict, what keeps this film interesting, is remarkably difficult, and I had difficulty putting my finger on what keeps these lovers apart. At times it is societal pressures about sex and sexuality, and at times the film focuses on Joyce's jealousy, his feeling that it is impossible to truly know Nora sexually. What's worse is that by the end of the film, I didn't see the central conflicts coming to any kind of resolution. What adjustments do these characters make in order to function together? What should we learn from this story?

I think the reason I enjoyed this film a little bit is the insight into Joyce's work. We see scenes that are reminiscent of "The Dead," "Araby," and Ulysses. I didn't know that Nora was the inspiration for each of these works, so I guess I learned something.

Overall, this isn't a complete film because the conflict isn't resolved and I think one needs to be intimately familiar with Joyce's writing in order to understand it.