David et Lisa

Probably director Perry's finest hour, David AND LISA basically cost nothing and went on to gross a fortune despite its downbeat nature. Keir Dullea and Janet Margolin are wonderful in this nicely modulated yet off-kilter love story. The best romance stories are beset by the biggest obstacles and this movie touchingly lays out the challenging premise of blossoming love between two emotionally disturbed individuals with much to overcome. Sometimes cold and distant and not always a happy movie-going experience, David AND LISA is nevertheless a convincing and definitive testament to the thrills and agonies of young love. Those who like this movie might also consider seeking out the similarly touching Aussie movie ANGEL BABY, which also addresses the subject of love from the point of view of emotionally troubled individuals.

Frank Perry's incredibly poignant drama about a psycho-neurotic young man named David, remarkably played by the handsome Keir Dullea, who is send to a private mental institution for emotionally disturbed teens by his parents. David has a great fear of being touched by anyone, he literally thinks he will die if touched, and is extremely resistant to forming friendships. He is also obsessed by clocks and time. While at the facility David meets Lisa, marvelously played by the beautiful Janet Margolin, a young schizophrenic girl who speaks in rhymes and is disassociated from reality. David who is antagonistic to everyone else, treats Lisa with mild compassion and caring and soon an odd romance begins when these two troubled youngsters realized that they can each help each. Brilliant direction by Perry in his directorial debut, which along with his engrossing screenplay earned him Oscar nominations. Gorgeous black & white cinematography by Leonard Hirschfield, and wonderful supporting performances by Howard Da Silva, Nava Patterson, Clifton Jones, Richard McMurray, Karen Gorney and Jaime Sanchez. One of the finest films ever made about mental illness.

This is an American film influenced by the European New Wave. It takes the form of a psychological drama centred on a school for mentally ill youngsters, in particular a boy named David who is terrified of being touched and a girl Lisa who has a split personality and speaks in rhyme. It's a quality production all round with a couple of great central turns from Keir (2001 a Space Odyssey) Dullea and the beautiful Janet Margolin in the two central roles. The material is handled very well and you are definitely on board and behind the main characters. It was nominated for some Oscars and won a Bafta - not that this often means much but in this case it was quite deserved in my opinion.

The movie opens with David's mother admitting him to a private facility for emotionally disturbed teens. David has a deathly fear of being touched by others (literally, he thinks he will die if touched) and he is obsessed with time and clocks. At the facility is a young girl Lisa who is schizophrenic, speaks in rhymes, and is quite disassociated from reality. The movie details how these two meet and the changes they effect on each other.

Keir Dullea is perfectly cast as David. His gradual transformation from a near automaton, virtually incapable of interacting with others, to someone a little less rigid is a fine feat of acting. Dullea has played rather stiff personalities in other movies, most notably "The Fox" and "2001," and one wonders if his portrayal of David is but an exaggeration of his own personality. Janet Margolin is equally accomplished in her portrayal of Lisa. Howard Da Silva is very believable as the benevolent psychiatrist Dr. Swinford, but his role is not terribly demanding and we come to know very little about him personally.

The black and white photography is effective and appropriate for the stark subject matter which is concerned exclusively with people and mental states. There are dream sequences that Alfred Hitchcock would have envied. The period details of the late 50s, early 60s (apparel, cars, home décor) are interesting.

When the kids from the home venture into the wider world their behavior is often viewed as bizarre and threatening by others. It is one of the strengths of the movie that in this context, our having been with the kids for awhile and gotten used to them a bit, their behavior is somewhat understandable. Maybe the next time we see someone behaving oddly in public we might reflect on this movie. However, it is a question whether the sympathy we come to have for David and Lisa is in no small part due to the fact that they are so attractive.

A psychiatrist might have a more accurate opinion, but for the lay person the story has many difficulties.

We are led to believe that mere socialization can lead to rapid improvement in treating some of the most intransigent mental disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. While it is true that Dr. Swinford is always lurking in the background, he is not shown here to have any deeper insights or worth beyond that of a good friend (not to underrate the value of a good friend). While we come to understand that at the root of David's obsessions is a fear of death, we have no idea how he wound up in the condition he is in. Lacking any further evidence we are left with the implication that it has something to do with his having an absent and remote father and a domineering mother. But surely that could not be the total cause of an impairment as serious as David's. What was David like before we meet him? It is hard to picture him functioning in the day-to-day world.

We know even less about Lisa's background, nothing really. We are offered the common stereotype that schizophrenia is the same as multiple personality disorder, since Lisa alternates between being Lisa and Muriel. As to the others in the facility we get only a sketchiest idea as to why they are there; they all seem rather harmless.

There is no mention of drugs. Even in the early 60s, drugs would have played a part in treatment. Also absent is any mention of sex which would have to be a major consideration in dealing with late teens, emotionally disturbed or not.

We are left with the idea that things end on an upbeat note, however unrealistic. But, upon further thought, what is the future of David's relationship with Lisa? One cannot be optimistic about a sexual relationship - neither would be capable of caring for a child. And, if David is so afraid of simply being touched, there is going to be a long road ahead to any kind of sexual contact, let alone a satisfying relationship. And introducing sex into the mix of Lisa's problems is not going to simplify anything for her. Dr. Swinford is going to have to be more than a friend to deal with that situation.

David's obsession with clocks and time leads to a moment of great prescience. It is his secret dream to have a master clock that sends out radio signals so that all clocks can be synchronized and everyone can have the exact time. Interestingly this foreshadows the existence of the atomic clock at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the existence of "atomic watches" several decades later.

While it is admirable that this movie tackles the important topic of mental health in an era when such was not common, it would have been a more valuable exercise if it had gone deeper.

"David and Lisa" is a well-made, beautifully photographed film from the early 1960's. It tells the very unusual love story between two people with extreme eccentricities. I am still uncertain, considering the year in question, whether they are supposed to be mentally ill or merely "troubled teens". Keir Dullea (better known, to me, in "2001") was hardly 17, but at 25 or 26 at the time, his performance and the whole material more than compensated for the obvious adult in the role. The independently produced film comes at the beginning of a long string of films dealing with mental issues. This one reminded me mostly of "Splendor in the Grass"--or at least the last half of that film. The cinematography is like one Ansel Adams photo after another. Do yourself a favor and watch this film!