Sisters [Blood Sisters] **** (1972, Margot Kidder, Jennifer Salt, Charles Durning) – Classic Movie Review 5378

Co-writer/ director Brian De Palma again employs Charles Durning and Jennifer Salt, who starred in his early film Hi, Mom! (1969) for his enjoyable, shocking, graphic 1972 psychological horror murder thriller.

Cheekily influenced by the films of Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho, Rear Window), and written by De Palma and Louisa Rose, the screenplay focuses on naive young French Canadian model Danielle Breton (Margot Kidder) whose separated Siamese twin sister Dominique Blanchion (Kidder) is suspected of a brutal murder witnessed by newspaper reporter Grace Collier (Jennifer Salt) in Staten Island. Durning plays private investigator Joseph Larch, who is brought in by Grace’s editor to help her investigate the story.

The score is composed by Hitchcock collaborator Bernard Herrmann.

Also in the cast are William Finley as Emil Breton, Lisle Wilson as Phillip Woode, Barnard Hughes as Arthur McLennen, Mary Davenport as Mrs. Peyson Collier, Dolph Sweet as Detective Kelly, Olympia Dukakis as Louise Wilanski, Catherine Gaffigan as Arlene and Justine Johnston as Elaine D’Anna.

Sisters is notable as De Palma’s first thriller, which became his stock in trade, along with other homages to Hitchcock.

To come up with his story, De Palma was prompted by an article about the Soviet Siamese twins Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapova. De Palma uses point of view and split screen shots to show events happening simultaneously.

It is also known as Blood Sisters in the UK. It was remade as Sisters in 2006 with Lou Doillon, Stephen Rea and Chloë Sevigny.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5378

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