Talk Part Three: Gardens & Crime Cinematic Gardens and the Subconscious : Nature, Symbolism, and the Psyche on Film

Cinematic Gardens and the Subconscious : Nature, Symbolism, and the Psyche on Film

Throughout the history of cinema, gardens, parks, courtyards, and other green spaces have served as far more than just settings or backdrops. They have been places where desires, fears, and fantasies unfold—spaces where characters search for meaning, whether in peaceful sanctuaries or mysterious, maze-like landscapes. These environments often present a contrast between carefully maintained nature shaped by human hands and wild, untamed areas, highlighting the tension between order and chaos.

From the walled garden in The Secret Garden (1993), a reflection of grief and self-discovery, to the suburban lawns in Broken Flowers (2005) signaling social status, the opulent château gardens in Last Year at Marienbad (1961) that warp time and memory, the colonial plots in The New World (2005) revealing power dynamics between settlers and Indigenous peoples, or the stylized Japanese garden-turned-battlefield in Kill Bill (2003)—cinematic gardens have long mirrored deeper social realities and emotional states, acting as open windows into the unconscious.

This lecture series, designed for film lovers and garden enthusiasts alike, explores the role and symbolism of gardens in cinema across four themes: Gardens & Power, Gardens & Love, Gardens & Crime, and Gardens & The Gothic.

Part Three: Gardens & Crime (13/06)

From classic whodunits to modern thrillers, gardens and parks have served as arenas for immoral acts, sinister discoveries, death and espionage.

In Sleuth (1972), a wealthy estate’s manicured grounds become the stage for deception and murder, while Blow-Up (1966) follows a photographer drawn into a potential homicide after inadvertently capturing a suspicious incident in a London park. Blue Velvet (1986) juxtaposes its perfectly manicured suburban lawns with the gruesome discovery of a severed ear, hinting at the moral abysses lurking beneath the surface of small-town Lumberton. Meanwhile, The Shining (1980) transforms a hedge maze into a harrowing reflection of its protagonist’s slow descent into madness.

By placing violent acts in seemingly peaceful settings, these films heighten the clash between surface tranquillity and hidden menace.

This conference is organized in the framework of LUGA - Luxembourg Urban Garden.