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Images (1972)

Images (1972)
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A woman walks a razor's edge between reality and madness in this impressionistic drama written and directed by Robert Altman. Cathryn (Susannah York) is a woman who begins to suspect that her marriage to Hugh (René Auberjonois) is falling apart after receiving a mysterious phone call from a friend who tells her Hugh has been having an affair. Cathryn herself has not been happy with Hugh, and years before she took a lover, Rene (Marcel Bozzuffi), though he died some time ago in a plane crash. Thinking they both need to get away, Hugh takes Cathryn to their house in the country, where Hugh indulges in his hobbies, hunting and photography, and Cathryn works on a book of fantasy tales for children. Before long, Cathryn begins to see apparitions of the late Rene around the house, much to her consternation; while confronting her feelings about the late Rene and the wandering Hugh, Marcel (Hugh Millais), a friend of the couple who makes little secret of his attraction to Cathryn, arrives for a visit, with his daughter Susannah (Cathryn Harrison) in tow. As Rene's appearances become more vivid and Cathryn reaches the end of her tether, she begins to drift deeper into a fantasy world, where it's difficult to tell what is real and what is imagined. Beautifully shot on striking locations in Ireland by Vilmos Zsigmond, Images earned Susannah York an award as Best Actress at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Susannah YorkRené Auberjonois, (more)
Director(s):
Robert Altman
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Images

A woman walks a razor's edge between reality and madness in this impressionistic drama written and directed by Robert Altman. Cathryn (Susannah York) is a woman who begins to suspect that her marriage to Hugh (René Auberjonois) is falling apart after receiving a mysterious phone call from a friend who tells her Hugh has been having an affair. Cathryn herself has not been happy with Hugh, and years before she took a lover, Rene (Marcel Bozzuffi), though he died some time ago in a plane crash. Thinking they both need to get away, Hugh takes Cathryn to their house in the country, where Hugh indulges in his hobbies, hunting and photography, and Cathryn works on a book of fantasy tales for children. Before long, Cathryn begins to see apparitions of the late Rene around the house, much to her consternation; while confronting her feelings about the late Rene and the wandering Hugh, Marcel (Hugh Millais), a friend of the couple who makes little secret of his attraction to Cathryn, arrives for a visit, with his daughter Susannah (Cathryn Harrison) in tow. As Rene's appearances become more vivid and Cathryn reaches the end of her tether, she begins to drift deeper into a fantasy world, where it's difficult to tell what is real and what is imagined. Beautifully shot on striking locations in Ireland by Vilmos Zsigmond, Images earned Susannah York an award as Best Actress at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
101 mins

Complete Cast of Images


Director(s):
Robert Altman
Writer(s):
Robert Altman
Producer(s):
Tommy Thompson
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R(Not For Children, Adult Language, Violence, Brief Nudity, Adult Situations)
Categories:
Mystery & Suspense
Images Awards:
  • 1972 - Cannes Film Festival - Best Actress
Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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Member Reviews
 
Karl H.

I saw this film when it was first released 30 years ago. It has stayed with me, and I always hoped to get the chance to see it again, but it seemed to have disappeared. Now suddenly, here it is on DVD. It was worth the wait. This is a dark, disturbing film. The only films I could compare it to are Ingmar Bergman's "Persona" and Roman Polanski's "Repulsion" and later David Lynch's "Mullholland Dr." The viewer is unable to figure out which images we're seeing are "true" and which are true only in the mind of the Susannah York character. This is not a conventional narrative structure, and as such it may try the patience of some viewers. I found it to be an absorbing, funny, psychological, intellectual ride. The interview with Altman is a great tract on his theory of making movies, and "Images" in particular. If you are a fan of Robert Altman or any of the films I mentioned above, definitely, take a look. It also has a great atypical score by John Williams.

Yes   |   No

 
Keith G.

A film I'll watch again. I have the feeling it could become stronger on repeated viewings. A character study of a schizophrenic from inside her subjective point of view. Some fascinating moments, and good tense twists as we (and she) wonder what's real. The film isn't wildly stylized, so the line between hallucination and reality is truly, effectively blurry. On the other hand a lot of the style feels awkwardly dated, and some story elements feel manipulative and not easy to believe. For example, she's very obviously a potentially dangerously disturbed woman, but her husband seems to barely take that in. Even if he's the supercilious prig that Rene Abougenois plays him as, his complete ignoring of her state feels like a cheat. And some twists just feel like they were `a cool idea' at the time, but not rooted in deeper character or story elements. All that said, certainly a must see for any Altman fans - it's not quite like anything else he ever did.

Yes   |   No

 
SHARON P.

I really didn't care for this movie Sharon P

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