SISTERS (1972)
Updated: Jul 3, 2021
Brian De Palma's Haunting Homage to Hitchcock
Grade: A-
Sisters is an early film from Brian De Palma which centers on murder, investigations, and psychological mind games. The story recalls two classic movies by Alfred Hitchcock, Rear Window (1954) and Psycho (1960), and although it may seem to be held back by its inspirations, it is nevertheless an effective thriller. It grabs the attention from the get-go with its opening titles and leaves the viewer in a state of shock by the end.
Sisters stars Margot Kidder as Danielle Brenton, a French-Canadian woman living on Staten Island who brings a man home one night, much to the anger of her mentally ill (and formerly Siamese) twin sister Dominique. When the man, named Philip Woode (Lisle Wilson) learns that it is their birthday, he decides to buy them a cake; upon returning to their apartment, he is brutally attacked and killed by Dominique. The murder is witnessed by journalist Grace Collier (Jennifer Salt) who lives in a neighboring building. Already disliked by the local police because of some unflattering articles she wrote about them, she is met with skepticism by two detectives who throw out the case when they are unable to find any evidence in Danielle’s apartment. Determined not to let the matter go, she hires a private detective (Charles Durning) and starts digging deeper.
As previously mentioned, Sisters is similar in its story to two Hitchcock classics, and these similarities are obvious and can potentially distract the viewer. The plot of someone suspecting their neighbor to be a murderer and investigating it is taken directly from Rear Window, and the central premise of someone murdering a potential lover of a family member is reminiscent of Psycho, as are the desperate efforts to hide the body.
But Sisters is not a mere rip-off of these movies; rather it is a case of De Palma showing his admiration for Hitchcock by taking two of his films and going deeper into some of the more horrific elements they hinted at, while utilizing his own trademarks of intense violence and stylistic cinematography and editing. Suspense is built early on when Philip accidentally knocks two of Danielle’s pills down the sink. While he is out, the scenes switch back and forth between Philip finding a cake and Danielle going into convulsions without her medication. When he gets back, his murder at the hands of Dominique is extremely shocking and graphic and is made even more horrific by the haunting musical score of Bernard Herrmann (who also wrote the music for Psycho). De Palma then uses a split-screen technique where the left side of the screen shows something happening at the same time something else is happening on the right side (a technique he would reuse in several movies). It is here we are introduced to Grace while at the same time Danielle wakes up, sees the body, and tries to clean up the mess with the help of her newly arrived ex-husband Emil (William Finley).
In addition to displaying De Palma’s talents, this sequence also highlights the performances of the two leads. Kidder is totally convincing as the sweet yet disturbed Danielle and the demented Dominique, and Jennifer Salt immediately fits into her role as the journalist out to uncover the truth. Her dogged determination and devotion to the achievement of her goals make her a strong protagonist and lend an air of feminism to the movie-for a while, at least.
Despite these strong points, it can still be easy to dismiss Sisters based on the obvious way it seems to copy Hitchcock…that is, until a third-act sequence that allows the film to transcend its inspirations and become something truly disturbing. It occurs when Collier follows Danielle and Brenton to a house outside of town, where she is captured and experiences a horrifying nightmare that makes her question everything she thinks she knows. The vision combines the musical score with black-and-white cinematography and Brenton’s menacing and insane presence to assault the viewer with discomfort. The nature of the reality of the vision may seem obvious after the film ends, but while it is happening it casts a shroud of confusion and uncertainty over the story that elevates the movie above being a mere thriller.
Sisters was a major breakthrough for Brian De Palma, who proved with the film that he knew horror. The graphic violence, split-screen editing and intense story would become trademarks for the director. Though overshadowed by both its inspirations and De Palma’s later movies, Sisters is still an outstanding film in his line of work.
Director: Brian De Palma
Producer: Edward R. Pressman
Screenplay: Brian De Palma, Louisa Rose (Based on an original story by Brian De Palma)
Cast: Margot Kidder (Danielle Brenton/Dominique Blanchion), Jennifer Salt (Grace Collier), Charles Durning (Joseph Larch), William Finley (Emil Brenton), Lisle Wilson (Phillip Woode), Barnard Hughes (Arthur McLennen), Mary Davenport (Mrs. Peyson Collier), Dolph Sweet (Det. Kelley)
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