PIC of the Week – Sisters
Article series by Ray Schillaci
So many cinephiles today have a better appreciation for writer/director Brian De Palma and his body of work. Glance at his IMDB and you will find that his most notable credits are listed as Dressed to Kill, The Phantom of the Paradise, and The Untouchables. At one time, some frowned upon the filmmaker, comparing him to a tawdry, low-rent Hitchcock. Those were probably the same critics that condemned Sam Peckinpah for his violence, never seeing past the bullets and the blood. The one thing both men had in common was they were both master storytellers that could whip an audience into a frenzy.
For me, early De Palma is priceless. His two earliest comedy/dramas with a young Bobby De Niro, Greetings and Hi Mom! are stinging portraits of that generation. Sadly, they have never been afforded a proper home entertainment presentation. But, Criterion has handpicked his delightfully devilish take on murder most foul with a bravura performance by Margot Kidder, best known for playing Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve’s Superman. Brian De Palma’s Sisters is the shocker that paved the way for his career.
The film focuses on a French Canadian model who’s separated conjoined twin may be involved in a violent murder that a newspaper reporter witnessed. Margot Kidder plays the model Danielle and her sister Dominique, Canada’s first conjoined twins. Danielle is very shy while Dominique, the suspect, is a domineering force who is very outgoing. Kidder is marvelously adept at playing these two fascinating women. But, there is a wonderful “Hitch(cock)” in all the matters of the heart that plays very deadly.
De Palma not only gives us a wonderful, thrilling homage to Hitch, but he also delivers a film with a very unique European style. Although filmed in New York, the whole film has a distinct foreign feeling that throws us off as much as its star, Margot Kidder. De Palma’s film has an underbelly of voyeurism that gives it a seedy feeling while at the same time has this bizarre take on the women’s liberation movement at the time it was filmed. One could only imagine what was going on in the filmmaker’s head which makes this film far more than just your average thriller.
Criterion originally had a nice clean version of the De Palma film back in 2000 with a generous amount of extras. This time around, Sisters is given the Hi-Def treatment with a fine 1080p picture that is sourced from a brand new 4K remaster, and in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. This is a far better presentation than the original Criterion, but that’s not to say that it is free of grain. After all, the film is from 1973. But, it only adds to the presentation, and shadows and highlights are far more pronounced than ever before. No dissatisfaction here.
Audio wise, there are no bells and whistles to chime about with an English LPCM 1.0. Dialogue is clear. But, what I would have given for that Bernard Hermann soundtrack to be in a 5.1 DTS. Then again, it might have distracted from the rest of the presentation.
With Halloween fast approaching, this is a great film to add to the collection, especially with some of the new extras:
¥ New interview with actor Jennifer Salt
¥ Interviews from 2004 with De Palma, actors Bill Finley and Charles Durning, editor Paul Hirsch, and producer Edward R. Pressman
¥ Audio from a 1973 discussion with De Palma at the American Film Institute
¥ Appearance from 1970 by actor Margot Kidder on The Dick Cavett Show
¥ Photo gallery and radio spots
¥ Essay by critic Carrie Rickey
¥ Excerpts from a 1973 interview with De Palma on making the film
¥ 1973 article by the director on working with composer Bernard Herrmann
Best Price – $25.99 – Amazon (unless you want to wait until November when Barnes & Noble have their 1/2 off Criterion sale)
