The Maids

Rating:
Summary: Powerful performances
Review: The productions of the American Film Theatre have long been unavailable for viewing, either commerically or via broadcast. This filmed production of Jean Genet's 'The Maids' is arguably one of the best of the series. Glenda Jackson and Susannah York play sisters Solange and Claire, two maids, who take turns dressing up as their mistress (played by Vivien Merchant) and abusing each other in a parody of the master/slave relationship. Since the source material is a stage play, the plot is dialog driven, and in lesser hands this would have been excruciatingly dull. But Ms. Jackson and Ms. York (and Ms. Merchant) give full-throttle performances, and Christopher Miles' skillful direction never lets the tension lag for a moment as the secrets of the sisters are revealed one by one. If you require an editing cut every four or five seconds, this is not the movie for you. If you want to see three great actresses taking it to the limit, buy this film.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful performances
Review: The productions of the American Film Theatre have long been unavailable for viewing, either commerically or via broadcast. This filmed production of Jean Genet's 'The Maids' is arguably one of the best of the series. Glenda Jackson and Susannah York play sisters Solange and Claire, two maids, who take turns dressing up as their mistress (played by Vivien Merchant) and abusing each other in a parody of the master/slave relationship. Since the source material is a stage play, the plot is dialog driven, and in lesser hands this would have been excruciatingly dull. But Ms. Jackson and Ms. York (and Ms. Merchant) give full-throttle performances, and Christopher Miles' skillful direction never lets the tension lag for a moment as the secrets of the sisters are revealed one by one. If you require an editing cut every four or five seconds, this is not the movie for you. If you want to see three great actresses taking it to the limit, buy this film.

Rating:
Summary: Tortured Souls
Review: This review refers to the Kino Video DVD edition of The American Film Theatre's production of "The Maids"....

The American Film Theatre's Ely Landau, has brought to film and DVD a series of outstanding and thought provoking plays. One of these, written by Jean Genet, considered by many to be a genuis of the genre, is the very intense and complex study of class distinction,"The Maids". I was so floored by the depth of emotions portrayed by these phenominal actresses, that I viewed this film twice in just the last couple of days. The second time around I appreciated it even more than the first.

Glenda Jackson and Susannah York, are sisters, and both are servants to Vivien Merchant, a demanding socialite. Solange and Claire have grown to hate "Madame",for her degrading treatment of them and neverending belittling of their station in life. Their desire to be the ones in power have them role playing whenever Madame is away.Acting out an intense psychological drama in Madame's bedroom, they take the game to the limits of vengefulness, never actually following through to their desired result..the death of Madame. How far will these tortured souls go to achieve their need for revenge?

These three actresses will take your breath away with the intenseness of their performances. You will hang on every word of the brillant dialouge and get caught up in their every movement. Director Christopher Miles exquistly brings this play to film. One thing that really struck me was the use of mirrors throughout the film. There were times when a reflection in a mirror, startled me into seeing something I hadn't noticed before. And of course, our hearts are always in our throats, thinking that Madame, will arrive home at any minute, during the sister's "games".

The DVD by Kino is excellent. The film is nearly 30 years old, but has a nice clear letterboxed picture, with very good colors.The dialouge is always clear and distguishable. There's interviews and essays, all in the form of notes, which are most informative and give a good background on the play and it's author.

This is a cinematic experience, not to be missed, by anyone who appreciates fine filmmaking, with thought provoking material.

Thanks..and...enjoy...Laurie

Rating:
Summary: Tortured Souls
Review: This review refers to the Kino Video DVD edition of The American Film Theatre's production of "The Maids"....

The American Film Theatre's Ely Landau, has brought to film and DVD a series of outstanding and thought provoking plays. One of these, written by Jean Genet, considered by many to be a genuis of the genre, is the very intense and complex study of class distinction,"The Maids". I was so floored by the depth of emotions portrayed by these phenominal actresses, that I viewed this film twice in just the last couple of days. The second time around I appreciated it even more than the first.

Glenda Jackson and Susannah York, are sisters, and both are servants to Vivien Merchant, a demanding socialite. Solange and Claire have grown to hate "Madame",for her degrading treatment of them and neverending belittling of their station in life. Their desire to be the ones in power have them role playing whenever Madame is away.Acting out an intense psychological drama in Madame's bedroom, they take the game to the limits of vengefulness, never actually following through to their desired result..the death of Madame. How far will these tortured souls go to achieve their need for revenge?

These three actresses will take your breath away with the intenseness of their performances. You will hang on every word of the brillant dialouge and get caught up in their every movement. Director Christopher Miles exquistly brings this play to film. One thing that really struck me was the use of mirrors throughout the film. There were times when a reflection in a mirror, startled me into seeing something I hadn't noticed before. And of course, our hearts are always in our throats, thinking that Madame, will arrive home at any minute, during the sister's "games".

The DVD by Kino is excellent. The film is nearly 30 years old, but has a nice clear letterboxed picture, with very good colors.The dialouge is always clear and distguishable. There's interviews and essays, all in the form of notes, which are most informative and give a good background on the play and it's author.

This is a cinematic experience, not to be missed, by anyone who appreciates fine filmmaking, with thought provoking material.

Thanks..and...enjoy...Laurie

Rating:
Summary: The Cruelty of Longing
Review: When I saw this film, I was pathologically attracted to the intense longing haunting each of the three main characters. Both Suzannah York and Glenda Jackson project an exquisite pathos that left me tingling with desire I've rarely experienced in front of a television set. Vivien Merchant glows with knowledge of the simple fact of her power over the lives of her filthy, animalistic subjects. She may be a mere mortal, and not royalty, but she nevertheless treats Solange and Claire with an insidious disdain that drives the film. She is one of the elect and they are...whatever, it isn't important.

Solange and Claire never complete their homocidal pantomimes with one another because they rely too heavily upon the pleasure inherent in the acts themselves. The rituals allow them escape and closeness that is otherwise denied them in their daily occupation as maids for an insensitive, psychologically cunning mistress.

Genet's play was based upon the case of the Papin Sisters, Christine and Lea. These were two incestuous sisters who worked as maids in Le Mans France in the early 1930's. Between them, they butchered both the woman of the house and her daughter. Christina dominated her sister yet cried out for her in prison.
The psychological bond between Christina and Lea led no less a personage than Jacques Lacan to write about them just after the murders.

This film is a bit of a conceit, because the dialogue is far smarter than one would expect from such lowly creatures. Of course, the joy is observing the great care and tremendous fun that each actress has with the words. Indeed, words are poison teasingly administered in a game of protracted strangulation that needs no precise denouement to bring on the flowers of oblivion.