Lilith (1964)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Robert Rossen

Writers:

Robert Rossen (writer)
J.R. Salamanca (novel)

Release Date:

27 September 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

'POWERFUL SHOCKER ABOUT LOVE!'

Plot:

Lilith is a about a mysterious young woman in an elite sanitarium in New England, who seems to weave a magical spell all around her...

Plot Keywords:

Lilith | One Word Title | Character Study | Psychiatric Nurse | Therapist

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Warren Beatty	...	Vincent Bruce
Jean Seberg	...	Lilith Arthur
Peter Fonda	...	Stephen Evshevsky
Kim Hunter	...	Dr. Bea Brice
Anne Meacham	...	Mrs.Yvonne Meaghan
Jessica Walter	...	Laura
Gene Hackman	...	Norman
James Patterson	...	Dr. Lavrier
Robert Reilly	...	Bob Clayfield

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Chestnut Lodge - 500 W. Montgomery Avenue, Rockville, Maryland, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Robert Rossen was dying when he made this film and many regard it as an act of expiation for his behavior during the McCarthy witch hunts in the 50s when he was a leading friendly witness.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the staff and patients are loading up to go on their picnic, one of the cars is a 1959 Ford station wagon. When they arrive at their destination, the car has changed into a 1960 Ford wagon.

Quotes:

Lilith Arthur: You've killed with these hands. Why?
Vincent Bruce: That's the business of a soldier.
Lilith Arthur: You must love your God a lot to kill for him and still go on loving him. I'd never ask that of a lover. I'd only ask his joy.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Edge of Sensation (1990)

Intriguing Study Of The Mentally Disturbed

"Lilith" takes place in a mental institution where an occupational therapist (Warren Beatty) develops a romantic attachment with one of the patients (Jean Seberg). The potentially icky scenario manages to dodge the bullet of morality in more than one occasion. Every time you think the movie is about to cross an imaginary moral line you realize that there is something beneath the surface that justifies the film's politically incorrect approach. In fact, I was not completely happy with the film until I saw the ending, which clarifies everything without actually having to verbalize an explanation; the ending is like a door at the end of a long hallway. Beatty and Seberg are first-rate. Gene Hackman, Jessica Walter, and Kim Hunter give sturdy support. I wish these excellent actors had more screen time because they are really good here. Eugen Schüfftan's b/w cinematography creates a moody atmosphere and the titles design are gorgeous. It is not a great movie but its handling of mental disorders is interesting.