Persona (1966)

Second viewing; previously viewed between 1983 and 1986.

An actress suffers a nervous breakdown, after which she no longer speaks and remains in a semi-catatonic state. She is placed under hospital care. Her supervising psychiatrist thinks it would be better for her to stay out of the hospital and suggests she stays at her house on a secluded island. She is accompanied by a nurse. The nurse develops an emotional relationship with her patient.

A film with several interesting ideas and some gripping sequences. The theme of switching personalities was repeated in Performance, which was made around 1968. The theme of a vampiric relationship between two women was frequent in the 60s and later. Mulholland Dr. was avowedly inspired by this film. Other films by Lynch seem to have also been influenced by themes in Persona. Ambiguous feelings towards babies is a theme of Eraserhead; the metamorphosis into someone else as an escape from an intolerable condition is present in Lost Highway. Having characters stand for a philosphical or psychological entity is an idea which goes back to Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (perhaps further back, but I don't know). In 1972, there was the Brazilian film As Deusas which applied that concept (probably under the influence of this very movie). Unfortunately, Persona is sorely lacking in conceptual coherence and dramatic consistence. That was a time when freedom became a sort of motto and moral imperative for well-regarded filmmakers. Reason became a sort of bête noire for them. Most of them returned to it soon after, though. Persona is still an admired film, but I suspect its reputation will gradually adjust to its real worth. 

Rating: 51 (down from 67)