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Clip description
Thandiwe (Thandiwe Newton) returns to her room after sneaking out to see Danny (Noah Taylor) by the lake. Head girl Nicola (Nicole Kidman) ticks her off before offering her an alcoholic drink and surprising her with an intimate sexual confession.
Curator’s notes
This scene starts off by looking as if it is going to turn into a major confrontation between Thandiwe and Nicola. Instead it goes in an unexpected direction. The two enemies come closer, with the hard Nicola letting down her guard for the first time. Until now Nicola has been a one-dimensional character, something of a villain the audience is invited to laugh at and dislike, but this scene reveals a more complex and sensitive person. It also underlines one of the film’s major themes: the irresistible development of adolescent sexuality in strict institutions where it is officially frowned upon. Nicola’s opening up doesn’t spring from nowhere, but reflects earlier plot developments that have helped her to view Danny and Thandiwe in a more sympathetic light.
