IntroductionDirected by Robert Aldrich, "The Killing of Sister George" is a 1968 British drama film famously understood for its bold depiction of lesbian relationships throughout a conservative age. The movie's script was adjusted from a play by Frank Marcus with the exact same title. The movie stars Beryl Reid, Susannah York, and Coral Browne.
Plot OverviewBeryl Reid played June Buckridge, a star who in real life is in a volatile lesbian relationship with Alice 'Childie' McNaught (Susannah York). June is famously understood on popular BBC radio soap opera 'Applehurst' as Sister George, a cherished district nurse tending to rural town life. However, off-screen, she is a heavy drinking and abusive lover, which significantly contrasts her on-screen sweet demeanor.
June's heavy drinking and ill-tempered habits begin to impact her work, inviting the judgment of her employers who think about exterminating her character. The plot thickens with a network executive, Mrs. Mercy Croft (Coral Browne), choosing June's fate. Nevertheless, at the exact same time, Mrs. Croft attempts to seduce Alice, producing a tense love triangle.
Dispute & ClimaxThe tension reaches its peak when Mrs. Croft reveals the choice to eliminate Sister George's character due to June's undesirable behavior. June becomes overloaded and devastated considering that she carefully links her personality with her radio character's stylish personality. Drama unfolds as June's frustration causes her aggression to surge, causing more heated exchanges in between June and Alice.
Mrs. Croft, on the other hand, makes the most of the situation and maneuvers her method into comforting Alice, which eventually fires up an enthusiastic affair in between them. This eventually causes a significant gorge in June's and Alice's currently strained relationship.
ResolutionThe climax arrives with Mrs. Croft declaring that she's taking Alice to America with her, leaving June on her own. She literally exterminates June's on-scene personality, 'Sister George', and likewise metaphorically eliminates June's personal life by removing Alice. In the absence of both her profession and her love interest, June is delegated grapple with her own presence and future.
Theme & Trope"The Killing of Sister George" controversially depicted a rainy homosexual relationship in an era when such depictions were unusual. The film symbolically utilizes the death of a cherished character, 'Sister George', to display the underlying truth of struggle dealt with by homosexual individuals throughout the conservative 1960s. The dynamic in between the general public personality and personal lives of the characters underpins the impactful narrative main to this movie.
Conclusion"The Killing of Sister George" is all at once an awful and insightful exploration of individual and professional identities clashing in an unforgiving society. Not only is it a talk about the troubles dealt with by people in same-sex relationships throughout the mid-20th century, but it also shows the more universal style of how great the line can be between an actor and their character. This movie is a brave, pioneering piece of cinema, that attempted to illustrate what lots of movies avoided doing so in its time.
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