As Criadas

Based on Jean Genet's play Solange (Glenda Jackson) and Claire (Susanna York) plays sisters who as maids in a luxuriant Paris apartment, dress up when Madame is away and act out strange, sadomasochistic scenes where Madame is ridiculed even murdered.

Made as a part of the American Film Theatre season, this is by nature a very stage bound film, set pretty much exclusively in the Parisian apartment. The attraction for seeing this, assuming you aren't necessarily acquainted with Genet's somewhat absurdist play is watching the 2 great actresses having a great time spouting out Genet's exhuberant, colourful dialogue. Other than that is a strange little chamber piece loaded up with gallons of hidden meaning that I obviously missed.

The Maids is one of the great stage classics of the XX century, and this 1974 version does it full justice. American Film Theatre was an attempt to bring stage to screen; I had previously seen only one of their efforts, Rhinoceros, which was ruined by an attempt to shift the setting from France to America.

The Maids doesn't make that mistake; the setting is ostentatiously, gorgeously French. Glenda Jackson and Susannah York have British accents, but this still maintains the European feel of the piece...and their acting is superb. Their ability to project histrionics at just the right moment brings to life what would otherwise be a stagebound snooze. The exquisite composition of colours and textures in the apartment also makes for compelling viewing.

The story concerns two psychotic and resentful maids who hatch a variety of fantastic plots for killing Madame, their employer. Also, the have a ceremony which involves one of them dressing up as Madame and tormenting the other; it is obvious that there is a vast pool of venom underneath the surface pretence of kindness and consideration shown by Madame.

The dialogue is ritualized and stylized, almost like Shakespearean blank verse - one would expect no less from Jean Genet, who was like Shakespeare in many ways. You have to be willing to like prose-poetry, but it's worth giving it a chance.

I'm convinced that the play was a major influence on Fassbinder's "Petra von Kant"; that movie is reckoned to be a classic, but this one is even better, so more people should check it out.

Thank God for the Trio network who are showing the American Express film series every Saturday night. I remember seeing the movie in 1974 when it played only two nights at the Metro Theatre. It was through the AmEx and you purchased tickets via subscription. It was the only way we theater buffs could see some great plays on film.

"The Maid" was on Trio recently and I taped it for later viewing. After watching Glenda Jackson and Susannah York, one can see one of the great acting duos in the 20th Century. However I was mesmerized by the performance of Vivien Merchant as their employer. This was also a great piece of acting. I will keep this tape to watch over again.

This turned up late one night on a London TV station. Never shown theatrically in the UK since you could go and see the play where it belongs, in the theatre.

It is a difficult to watch film. The actors perform as if they are on a stage. The cinematography is headache inducing. Little attempt at editing. It is an unwatchable bore. Little wonder that the venture was short-lived.

The Maids is a two-woman show that looks like a live performance. It was part of a series of films adapting stage shows to the big screen, so the intent is implant audiences in the front row of the theater. It's not flashy and it doesn't do anything to make itself any less "stage-y". If that type of movie doesn't appeal to you, then you'll probably tear your hair out after five minutes.

Many theater fans adore Glenda Jackson's style, but it is very distinctive, so if again, if you don't like it in the beginning, you won't like the rest of it. She and her costar, Susannah York, played their parts on stage, which explains their masterful timing and very rehearsed delivery. The story is pretty dark and convoluted: two maids hate their employer, so when she's out on the town, they take turns dressing up in her clothes and harassing the other. They also act out little revenge schemes which they can never fulfil in real life.

Personally, I found it much to play-ish and peculiar to be enjoyable. If you actually end up liking this one, you can try any number of live productions Glenda Jackson filmed or another dark, strange drama with Susannah York: The Killing of Sister George.