Close Up

6 - 12 January 2017: Images

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Images
Robert Altman
1972 | 101 min | Colour | 35mm

"Made for a small budget after the success of M*A*S*H, Images was a personal project for Altman, one of his only films for which he is the sole credited screenwriter. Alternately dreamy and nightmarish, this psychological thriller, about a woman convinced that those around her are not who they say they are, is a relative of Polanski’s Repulsion, except that here the protagonist’s possible instability is related not solely to her sexuality but also to her creativity. Describing Altman’s fascination with female characters who are "difficult, suffering, searching women," lead actor Susannah York wrote, "his experience of women is that they are more complex, more emotional, more demanding, and at the same time more understanding creatures, in general, than men."" – Harvard Film Archive

Part of our Robert Altman season