Lilith

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Audience Member Director and writer Robert Rossen (All the King's Men, The Hustler) made this his last movie, as he was disillusioned with Hollywood*. What a film to go out on, a bleak and sullen meditation on mental health and lost love. Vincent Bruce (Warren Beatty) has returned from the war, but perhaps not all of him mentally has, but he finds work at Chestnut Lodge in Rockville, Maryland. There, he seeks to help — and becomes obsessed by — an artistic patient named Lilith (Jean Seberg, an icon of the French New Wave and a woman so hounded by the FBI that she had a miscarriage and continually tried to kill herself on every anniversary of her lost child's birthday until she succeeded). Lilith is seduction incarnate, as though she secludes herself inside her room, her mind is at the same level as her outward appearance. Every person she encounters wants her and she also has no compunction over seducing everyone she meets, no matter their age. This begins to upset Bruce as they become lovers and he becomes more jealous of her multiple affections, even causing another patient, Stephen Evshevsky (Peter Fonda) to kill himself after he learns that the man has romantic feelings for Lilith. That death takes Lilith back into her world of seclusion, reminding her of the moment that her life would never be the same again: her brother killed himself after she made incestuous attempts to make love to him. With appearances by Gene Hackman, Jessica Walter and Kim Hunter, this is a movie that may haunt me for some time, much like the woman at the center of this story. It doesn't end happily at all and actually has quite an open close, if that is an actual phrase. I wondered what "hiara pirlu resh kavawn" written above Lilith's bed meant. According to the book, it's her own language and says, "If you can read this, you will know I love you." *Kim Hunter said, "The tensions on the set contributed to his (Rossen's) death. I don't think I want to talk about it." Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Shiva is Lilith and wears Vasuki (king of the snakes) around her neck because Vasuki helped churn the cosmic ocean when the Gods needed such changes to be made. What can you say about snakes? They are poisonous, but their poison can also be used to cure the effects of their own snake bites. Shiva drank the haLAhaLA (black time puzzle) and who can say if this wasn't Vasuki's own poison? Nevertheless, Shiva loves her Samael-snake, no matter their battles like Egg vs Serpent, and she resolved to live with all the pieces of black time. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review michele a Weird --Warren Beatty was good Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review steve d Really uncomfortable but well acted. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member The best romance movie ever made! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Unlikely tale - even for the 1950's or 60's, of a young veteran apprenticed to become an orderly at an asylum, and falling in love with an inmate. If you can get past the premise, this is a well made film from several technical considerations. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Lilith

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