The Maids (film): Difference between revisions

 

Line 1: Line 1:

{{Short description|1975 British film directed by Christopher Miles}}

{{confused|Maids (film)|The Maid (disambiguation){{!}}The Maid (film)}}

{{confused|Maids (film)|The Maid (disambiguation){{!}}The Maid (film)}}

{{Use British English|date=April 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=April 2016}}

Line 5: Line 6:

| name = The Maids

| name = The Maids

| image = JacksonYorkPosterMaids.JPG

| image = JacksonYorkPosterMaids.JPG

| alt = Illustrated movie poster with two women, one dressed as a maid holding another woman in black lingerie, against a pink and black background

⚫

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = [[Christopher Miles]]

| director = [[Christopher Miles]]

| writer = [[Robert Enders (filmmaker)|Robert Enders]]<br>Christopher Miles<br>[[Jean Genet]] (play)

| writer =

[[Robert Enders (filmmaker)|Robert Enders]]

Christopher Miles

}}

| producer = Robert Enders<br>[[Ely Landau]]

| starring = [[Glenda Jackson]]<br>[[Susannah York]]<br>[[Vivien Merchant]]

| = [[ ]] [[ ]]

| narrator =

| =

* Robert Enders

* [[Ely Landau]]

}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

* [[Glenda Jackson]]

* [[Susannah York]]

* [[Vivien Merchant]]

}}

⚫

| cinematography = [[Douglas Slocombe]]

| cinematography = [[Douglas Slocombe]]

| editing = [[Peter Tanner]]

| editing = [[Peter Tanner]]

Line 19: Line 32:

| country = United Kingdom

| country = United Kingdom

| language = English

| language = English

| budget =

| budget =

}}

}}

””’The Maids””’ ({{langx|fr|Les Bonnes}}) is a 1975 British film that was directed by [[Christopher Miles]]. It is based on the [[The Maids|play of the same title]] by the French dramatist [[Jean Genet]]. The film stars [[Glenda Jackson]] as Solange, [[Susannah York]] as Claire, [[Vivien Merchant]] as Madame, and [[Mark Burns (actor)|Mark Burns]] as Monsieur. The film was produced by [[Ely Landau]] for the [[American Film Theatre]], which presented thirteen film adaptations of plays in the United States from 1973 to 1975.<ref name=Benson>{{cite web|title=Remember…The American Film Theater |first=Raymond |last=Benson |authorlink=Raymond Benson |date=16 April 2009 |work=[[Cinema Retro]] |url=http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/3150-REMEMBER…THE-AMERICAN-FILM-THEATRE!.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601121955/http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?%2Farchives%2F3150-REMEMBER…THE-AMERICAN-FILM-THEATRE%21.html |archivedate=2013-06-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

””’The Maids””’ ({{langx|fr|Les Bonnes}}) is a 1975 British film that was directed by [[Christopher Miles]]. It is based on the [[The Maids|play of the same title]] by the French dramatist [[Jean Genet]]. The film stars [[Glenda Jackson]] as Solange, [[Susannah York]] as Claire, [[Vivien Merchant]] as Madame, and [[Mark Burns (actor)|Mark Burns]] as Monsieur. The film was produced by [[Ely Landau]] for the [[American Film Theatre]], which presented thirteen film adaptations of plays in the United States from 1973 to 1975.<ref name=Benson>{{cite web|= |first=Raymond |=Raymond Benson |date=16 April 2009 |work=[[Cinema Retro]] |url=http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/3150-REMEMBER…THE-AMERICAN-FILM-THEATRE!.html |=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601121955/http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?%2Farchives%2F3150-REMEMBER…THE-AMERICAN-FILM-THEATRE%21.html |=2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Plot ==

==Plot==

Solange and Claire are two housemaids who construct elaborate [[sadomasochism|sadomasochistic]] rituals when their mistress (Madame) is away. The focus of their role-playing is the murder of Madame, and they take turns portraying either side of the power divide. The deliberate pace and devotion to detail guarantees that they always fail to actualize their fantasies by ceremoniously “killing” Madame at the ritual’s [[denouement]].

Solange and Claire are two housemaids who construct elaborate [[sadomasochism|sadomasochistic]] rituals when their mistress (Madame) is away. The focus of their role-playing is the murder of Madame, and they take turns portraying either side of the power divide. The deliberate pace and devotion to detail guarantees that they always fail to actualize their fantasies by ceremoniously “killing” Madame at the ritual’s [[denouement]].

The plot of the film was popularly believed to have been inspired by the murders committed in 1933 by [[Christine and Léa Papin]], although this was denied by Genet.<ref>The story of the Papin sisters was filmed in 1995 as ”[[Sister My Sister]]”, starring British actresses [[Joely Richardson]], [[Jodhi May]], and [[Julie Walters]]. The film was directed by [[Nancy Meckler]] and written by [[Wendy Kesselman]]. The case was also the subject of ”[[Murderous Maids]]” (”Les Blessures Assassines”), a French film starring [[Sylvie Testud]] and [[Julie-Marie Parmentier]] and directed by [[Jean-Pierre Denis]], released in 2000.</ref>

The plot of the film was popularly believed to have been inspired by the murders committed in 1933 by [[Christine and Léa Papin]], although this was denied by Genet.The story of the Papin sisters was filmed in 1995 as ”[[Sister My Sister]]”, starring British actresses [[Joely Richardson]], [[Jodhi May]], and [[Julie Walters]]. The film was directed by [[Nancy Meckler]] and written by [[Wendy Kesselman]]. The case was also the subject of ”[[Murderous Maids]]” (”Les Blessures Assassines”), a French film starring [[Sylvie Testud]] and [[Julie-Marie Parmentier]] and directed by [[Jean-Pierre Denis]], released in 2000.

==Cast==

==Cast==

{{Cast listing|

* [[Glenda Jackson]] as Solange

* [[Glenda Jackson]] as Solange

* [[Susannah York]] as Claire

* [[Susannah York]] as Claire

* [[Vivien Merchant]] as Madame

* [[Vivien Merchant]] as Madame

* [[Mark Burns (actor)|Mark Burns]] as Monsieur

* [[Mark Burns (actor)|Mark Burns]] as Monsieur

}}

== Production ==

==Production==

Before it was filmed for the [[American Film Theatre]], it ran as a stage play at the [[Greenwich Theatre]], [[London]], with the same principal cast later used for the film version. The director, [[Christopher Miles]], planned the 12-day shoot with a single camera which could track anywhere over the set with the [[cinematographer]] [[Douglas Slocombe]]<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Cinema TV Today|title=Miles on filming a stage success|date=1 May 1974}}</ref> and deliberately implemented many of Genet’s theatrical devices for the film. The camera was often static, the settings lush and extravagant.

Before it was filmed for the [[American Film Theatre]], it ran as a stage play at the [[Greenwich Theatre]], [[London]], with the same principal cast later used for the film version. The director, [[Christopher Miles]], planned the 12-day shoot with a single camera which could track anywhere over the set with the [[cinematographer]] [[Douglas Slocombe]]<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Cinema TV Today|title=Miles on a |date=1 May 1974}}</ref> and deliberately implemented many of Genet’s theatrical devices for the film. The camera was often static, the settings lush and extravagant.

== Release ==

==Release==

The film was shown at the [[1975 Cannes Film Festival]],<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[France Soir]]|title=Les Yeux Fertiles – Christopher Miles une oeuvre magistrale|date=20 May 1975}}</ref> but was not entered into the main competition.<ref name=”festival-cannes.com”>{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2202/year/1975.html |website=Festival de Cannes|title=The Maids |accessdate=2009-05-04}}</ref>

The film was shown at the [[1975 Cannes Film Festival]],<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[France Soir]]|title=Les Yeux Fertiles – Christopher Miles une oeuvre magistrale|date=20 May 1975}}</ref> but was not entered into the main competition.<ref name=”festival-cannes.com”>{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2202/year/1975.html |website=Festival de Cannes|= 2009}}</ref>

==References==

==References==

;Notes

{{reflist}}

{{Notelist}}

;Citations

{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

==Further reading==

*{{cite news|title=Screen: Exciting ‘Maids’:American Film Theater Presents Genet Work|last=Canby|first=Vincent|authorlink=Vincent Canby|date=22 April 1975|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D04E1DC163DE03ABC4A51DFB266838E669EDE&partner=Rotten%2520Tomatoes}} Canby indicates that the film opened in New York on 21 April 1975.

*{{cite news|title=Screen: Exciting ‘Maids’:American Film Theater Presents Genet Work |work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D04E1DC163DE03ABC4A51DFB266838E669EDE}} Canby indicates that the film opened in New York on 21 April 1975.

==External links==

==External links==

*{{IMDb title|id=0071798|title=The Maids}}

*{{IMDb title|0071798}}

*{{rotten-tomatoes|id=maids|title=The Maids}}

*{{|maids}}

{{Christopher Miles}}

{{Christopher Miles}}

1975 British film directed by Christopher Miles

The Maids (French: Les Bonnes) is a 1975 British film that was directed by Christopher Miles. It is based on the play of the same title by the French dramatist Jean Genet. The film stars Glenda Jackson as Solange, Susannah York as Claire, Vivien Merchant as Madame, and Mark Burns as Monsieur. The film was produced by Ely Landau for the American Film Theatre, which presented thirteen film adaptations of plays in the United States from 1973 to 1975.^[1]

Solange and Claire are two housemaids who construct elaborate sadomasochistic rituals when their mistress (Madame) is away. The focus of their role-playing is the murder of Madame, and they take turns portraying either side of the power divide. The deliberate pace and devotion to detail guarantees that they always fail to actualize their fantasies by ceremoniously “killing” Madame at the ritual’s denouement.

The plot of the film was popularly believed to have been inspired by the murders committed in 1933 by Christine and Léa Papin, although this was denied by Genet.^[a]

Before it was filmed for the American Film Theatre, it ran as a stage play at the Greenwich Theatre, London, with the same principal cast later used for the film version. The director, Christopher Miles, planned the 12-day shoot with a single camera which could track anywhere over the set with the cinematographer Douglas Slocombe^[2] and deliberately implemented many of Genet’s theatrical devices for the film. The camera was often static, the settings lush and extravagant.

The film was shown at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival,^[3] but was not entered into the main competition.^[4]

Notes

Citations