More than that, The Killing of a Sacred Deer suggests that this masculine evasion of responsibility is something that is passed down from parent to child, something that self-perpetuates. Repeatedly over the course of the film, characters imitate and echo their parents. Bob wants to be an ophthalmist like his mother. Trying to seduce Martin, Kim lies down limp on the bed like her mother did. Even Martin eats spaghetti like his deceased father.
There is a sense that Steven’s moral weakness, that his reluctance to acknowledge his own shortcomings and to take responsibility, is something that his children have already learned. Over the course of the film, Kim loses three different mp3 players. Bob refuses to get his haircut, even when it is almost dipping into his food. Both children prove unreliable when it comes to their household chores.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a modern day fable about responsibility, particularly filtered through the lens of masculine authority. It is a familial tragedy about the breakdown of this moral order, about the horrors that unfold when people refuse to be held to account for their failings. The Killing of a Sacred Deer explores this moral failing in an intimate setting, but invites bigger questions about accountability and authority in contemporary society.
This is especially true when it comes to men who hold positions of power, whether culturally or politically or economically. How many of these men have avoided any repercussions for truly horrific deeds? There are almost too many examples to choose from in contemporary culture, too many men willing to excuse their mistakes as part of a broader culture or to attribute their conduct to something other than their own decisions. The Killing of a Sacred Deer wonders whether it is too easy for such individuals to avoid responsibility for the consequences of their actions, reframing these provocative social questions as a small-scale familial tragedy.
These are big questions, channelled through abstract storytelling. At one point, Steven tries to determine what exactly Martin is trying to accomplish. Martin responds with a grotesque gesture. “Do you understand?” he inquires, seemingly sincerely.
“It’s metaphorical. My example, it’s a metaphor.”
CinÉireann / November 2017 19