Thriller

A classic of feminist film theory, Thriller is Sally Potter’s deconstruction of Puccini's La Boheme, flipping the familiar trope of ‘woman as victim’ on its head.

Mimi, Puccini’s doomed heroine, is given agency and a subjective voice by Potter, enabling her to investigate the reasons for her operatic death. But Potter doesn’t stop there. She wraps this premise in a blanket of filmmaking touchstones – from stereotypical horror conventions (a la Psycho’s screeching violin soundtrack) to avant-garde techniques evocative of Maya Deren – to build a broad theoretical critique of fictional female victimhood and film’s relationship with this ongoing issue, as well as with itself. 

'Thriller is a disquieting, beautiful film; the blend of formats and techniques retains a hypnotic power, and the questions raised have not lost their power or their relevancy. While other artists have tackled similar ideas regarding female identity years after its debut, Thriller remains a landmark in feminist filmmaking.' – Not Coming to a Theatre Near You