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

INTRODUCTION
Throughout the history of cinema, gardens, parks, courtyards, and other green spaces have been far more than mere backdrops or locations. They have served as places where desires, anxieties, and fantasies are expressed, and where meaning is sought—whether in tranquil sanctuaries or in labyrinths shrouded in mystery. At the same time, these spaces showcase nature shaped and cultivated by human intervention alongside areas left wild and untamed, thus highlighting the tension between order and chaos.

Whether it’s the walled garden in The Secret Garden (1993) reflecting grief and self-discovery, the suburban lawns in Broken Flowers (2005) signaling social status, the ornate château grounds in Last Year at Marienbad (1961) twisting time and memory, the colonial plots in The New World (2005) exposing power structures between settlers and Indigenous people, or the Japanese garden in Kill Bill (2003) becoming a stylized battleground—gardens in cinema have always mirrored deeper social realities or emotional states, serving as windows into the subconscious.

Addressed to both film enthusiasts and garden lovers, this series explores the role and symbolism of cinematic gardens in four lectures: Gardens & Power, Gardens & Love, Gardens & Crime, and Gardens & The Gothic.

GARDENS & CRIME
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.