Professional Tourist wrote:
The Killing of Sister George had come recommended to me -- it was actually screening here in town a couple of weeks ago, at Lincoln Center, but between ticket price and car fare it cost less to purchase the DVD, so I did.
I have to admit it was interesting even though I found all of the characters very much unlikeable. Coral Browne was the best of the lot, I think -- she was quite good.
I believe Bette Davis was up for the part of June/Sister George at one time, but she insisted Beryl Reid (who played the character onstage) also star in the movie version.
I derive fiendish delight from this film - perhaps it's because, aside from the unsympathetic nature of George's character, I can nevertheless identify with some of her anger and lately I honestly wish I had the balls to throw dignity and propriety to the wind and tear through arrogant and cruel people as she does. She's been used by people and thrown aside like so much rubbish. As such, she's wanting to get revenge, yet (abominably) she doesn't differentiate between the jerks and those who've been on her side.
Different people have different takes on the film's portrayal of issues related to lesbianism. Personally, I think it's treated as something that just
is, though I do see Aldrich's film as (in a manner typical for him) exploiting that issue to compound the shock value. But outside of that, I don't see where it matters that much to the film's major theme, which seems to be that appearances and our perception of the truth are often so far off the mark that it's not even funny. In several instances you're led to make snap judgments about people or situations but as more is revealed, you realize there's more to it than what you think.