Sunday, 17 January 2016

Images (1972 Robert Altman & scr)

Not much different to when I first saw it thirty years ago, though it's interesting to note how much Graeme Clifford's editing makes it seem (at times ) like a Nic Roeg film, particularly The Man Who Fell to Earth. (This was his first film; he also edited FIST, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Postman Always Rings Twice and Don't Look Now; then directed Frances and unnotable others.)

Vilmos lights very realistically and captures some lovely (Ireland) locations (in Panavision). Loved also the scene in the car near the end comprising coloured lights

Susannah York is bloody marvellous (she won best actress at Cannes) as the mentally ill wife - both her husband RenĂ© Auberjonois and especially friend Hugh Millais are horrible; fantasy man is Marcel Bozzuffi (The French Connection, Illustrious Corpses) and the girl (who almost is the young Suzannah character) is Cathryn Harrison.

Susannah's own story 'In Search of Unicorns' adds a haunting layer; Altman says the 'DNA' of his quite atypical film is Persona. Music and sound effects by John Williams and Stomu Yamash'ta add to overall creepiness, as does that jigsaw.

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