a review of 幻象

Images turned out to be a fascinating hidden gem by Robert Altman. I was afraid a thriller from 1972 would be dated, but there were a number of scenes that gave me genuine goosebumps. Images is an intriguing psychological thriller with a great, uncanny atmosphere of paranoia throughout the film. There are some cool surreal scenes that might be called David Lynch avant la lettre, such as the scenes where the lead character encounters herself. Images also effectively makes use of disturbing music, created by none other than maestro John Williams. Soon after Images starts it becomes clear that the main character is slowly losing her sanity, and it's puzzling for both her and the viewer what is real and what is imaginary. A number of elements from Images reminded me of classic paranoia-themed psychological thrillers such as Polanski's Repulsion (1965), Rosemary's Baby (1968), The Tenant (1976) and Kubrick's The Shining (1980). As The Shining was created eight years after Images, it would surprise me if Images didn't provide at least some inspiration for Kubrick's masterpiece. Likewise, I'm pretty sure Polanski's Repulsion and Rosemary's Baby were an inspiration for Images.