Sadly Over-hyped

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

When I think about the trouble I had to get this movie. What a waste of my time. Before watching it I read it was one of the most disturbing movies I was going to see. And I had my share of disturbing movies, like A Serbian Movie, The Human Centipede and so on... Maybe for 1981 it was disturbing but to me it was just a piece of crap. I don't know why Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill agreed to act in this movie, it must have been because they were young and didn't know any better, or because at their debut they didn't have much choice and couldn't refuse a role in a big picture. But I'm pretty sure if you would ask them again now they would refuse. I read it was a movie for cinephiles, and that only those people could get the movie. Well I must have seen at least 20000 movies or more, and I still don't consider myself as a cinephile, but this movie doesn't make me thrill at all. That people love this movie is a mystery to me, that it got awards is an even bigger mystery to me. Not that Isabelle Adjani isn't a good actress but she had way better movies where she could have won awards. The director must be one of those people that thinks if it's weird it must be good. Well, let me tell you something, it isn't. A weird movie isn't good, it's just weird. For example, and that's not even a spoiler, at one point Heinrich is bouncing wall to wall in a corridor trying to make a point. That's just overacting, making yourself completely ridiculous. I can't see that actor coming up with that idea himself. It must have been the director that demanded that from him. So for me it's very easy after this movie. This director goes on my list, for movies I never want to see, and it doesn't matter what he made or what ratings it gets on here. It's been a long time that I don't pay attention anymore to the ratings on here. Weird movies from Lars Von Trier, David Lynch and now this weirdo are just not for me. Trying to be fancy and weird, it just doesn't work for me, as it doesn't work for a big audience and that's proven . Don't waste your time with this garbage.

After finding this on a "Top 10 Body Horror Films" list, I decided to give this movie a go, based on the scant few images I managed to find online.The general idea is about a married man who is having problems with a unfaithful wife, who appears to be slowly going more and more insane as the film goes on. It actually isn't until well over halfway through the film that the movie ever actually takes on any sort of aspect that is even remotely similar to any sort of horror film. And as soon as it does, it makes no sense whatsoever, which includes the ending. Long winded, boring, this are just a few words I use to describe this film. The pacing is awful, the writing is awful, even the actors are awful. I can't believe I wasted my time watching this film.

One of those brilliant films where one has to act as an active viewer, engaged and thoughtful and willing to make an effort, in order to get the best out of the film. Comedic, experimental, horrific and political, this is both baleful and vicious and always brilliant.With committed and brave performances from all of the cast, and particularly Adjani, this film begins at a high and intense pitch and gets stranger and stronger from thereon. Determindely non-naturalistic, this film is really a most unusual work.

I had to look very hard to pull much positive out of this film. Adjani's character was compelling enough to keep me watching until the end of the movie. Sam Neill was still in the process of developing his on screen presence but is acceptable. In the end the only way I can justify this film is to look at the metaphors presented. Divorce is an ugly beast, the unhappy wife creating an idealized version of her husband. The husband wanting a version of his wife that is very opposite of what exists (she even wears white opposed to Anna's dark clothing). Even in the end when the idealized versions of the two come together the child still pays the price understanding that ultimately the war that is raging between the two of them will continue.