Mitchell Lichtenstein – Angelica #Berlinale

February 13, 2015

Mitchell Lichtenstein - Angelica #Berlinale fredfilmradio

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Mitchell Lichtenstein – director – Angelica

FRED’s Chiara Nicoletti interviews Mitchell Lichtenstein, the director of the film Angelica, which premiered in the Panorama Special section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.

Lichtenstein deals with sexual repression and female sexuality once again and in order to do that, this time, he decides to set the story in the Victorian age. Big houses, corsets, tale of spirits and conservative habits to be the background of two love stories with only one protagonist, the young and innocent Constance (Jena Malone) and one reference point around which everything happens – the titular Angelica.

Plot: In Victorian England, innocent shopgirl Constance falls in love with Dr. Joseph Barton, a medical researcher. They soon marry, but their intense passion is cut short. After the life-threatening birth of daughter Angelica, puritanical doctors order abstinence, condemning Constance for lascivious appetites. Sexual repression opens a rift between the young couple. Frustration leads to obsession, and Constance becomes more and more protective of Angelica. Joseph’s secrets fuel the growing conflicts. Then, late at night, the household begins to be disrupted by what appears to be a paranormal predator. The eerie nocturnal visits multiply, evermore menacing and vividly evoking Constance’s deepest fears. With the help of staunch maid Nora, Constance reaches out to a spiritualist to cleanse the home of its terrors. But the arrival of charismatic Anne Montague brings even more complexities to the deteriorating Barton household. Constance places her deepest trust in Anne, and together they fight against a force that may be more sinisterly human than supernatural.

Written by: fredfilmradio

American cinema Chiara Nicoletti Jena Malone period drama US cinema USA

Guest

Mitchell Lichtenstein

Film

Angelica

Festival

Berlinale

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