• Altman’s only foray (maybe more like a toe in the water) into horror- a thriller, closer to Repulsion, Persona, (Altman himself mentioned Bergman’s masterpiece as an influence) or Mulholland Drive. It is challenging film but rewards- a strong formal work.
  • In that vein in makes for a companion to 3 Women from Altman five years later in 1977
  • It just adds to the early Altman 1970’s already-legendary run of brilliant films– he’s the Godard of the 1970’s (churning out great film after great film), Altman made 10 archiveable films from 1970-1977— I’m not sure if Images will make the cut yet but 7 of those 10 are among the 100 best film of the 1970’s– the most by any auteur in that decade
  • based on Susannah York’s (main protagonist here) novel “In Search of Unicorns”. York reads aloud from it during the film in certain spots
  • Altman’s trademark zooms are prevalent- eerie- a perfect match for the uneasiness in the entire film and York’s state of mind—we start with a zoom actually moving in from the outside of the window on an opening shot
  • A series of disturbing phone calls—right away Altman questions the dependency of our narrator and York as our central narrative vehicle. Unreliable. He also sets the tone early with the motifs-there’s the object dancing on the car rearview mirror and obstructing the frame in her living room
  • LikePolanski’s Repulsion (and unlike most of Altman) we have a central character- no ensemble here. Disturbed, schizophrenia (unlike Repulsion and the Deneuve character this word and awareness is in the text).
  • Doppelgänger in the film- like Bergman’s Persona– – Altman names the young girl’s character (a loner who becomes York’s best friend and looks like her)  Susannah (York’s name in real life) and vice versa with the girl actor. This doubling may imply different realities and time narratives going on simultaneously in the film, it may imply abuse (the father of the girl has his hands all over York) and be an explanation for her mental issues now as an adult. There are no concrete answers given in the text
a stand alone great shot- yes– but also– Altman names the young girl’s character (a loner who becomes York’s best friend and looks like her)  Susannah (York’s name in real life) and vice versa with the girl actor. This doubling may imply different realities and time narratives going on simultaneously in the film
  • Roeg comes to mind- 1970’s Performance is about doubling, doppelgängers, almost all of Roeg’s work is about fracturing. Certainly Black Swan feels like a relative– hallucinations, Under the Skin maybe a second cousin
  • York with her modified Jane Fonda Klute haircut—one of many in 1972 I’m sure- haha
  • Altman’s camera glides through the staircase rails with this zooms
  • Jigsaw puzzle reoccurring motif (and over the end of the film), the camera as well—
Jigsaw puzzle reoccurring motif (and over the end of the film), the camera as well—
  • Experimental score by the great John Williams- a nod to Psycho and Herrmann in one scene in the shower with the shrieking violins (Stomu Yamashta doing work as well on sound design), camerawork by Vilmos Zsigmond—all-star crew
  • At 49 minutes a character is talking to York, and her inner monologue is overlapping—wild—great Altman touch
  • Triple mirror shot at 73 minutes- fracturing
Triple mirror shot at 73 minutes- fracturing — not just a cool shot of course with what is going on with these two characters
  • Ends with a dissolve on the puzzle and unicorn book (unicorn itself questioning the reality—which Blade Runner would do a decade later)
  • York is superb- best actress winner at Cannes
  • R/HR or even leaning HR after a day or two to let it sit