David and Lisa (1962)
David and Lisa (1962)
DVD5 | ISO | NTSC 4:3 | 01:33:03 | 3,47 Gb
Audio: English AC3 2.0 @ 224 Kbps | Subs: English SDH
Genre: Drama
DVD5 | ISO | NTSC 4:3 | 01:33:03 | 3,47 Gb
Audio: English AC3 2.0 @ 224 Kbps | Subs: English SDH
Genre: Drama
Director: Frank Perry
Stars: Keir Dullea, Janet Margolin, Howard Da Silva
The emotional story of a young man in a mental institution for teens who begins to understand his psychosis in the environment of others with mental and emotional problems. He finds intimacy with Lisa, a young woman suffering from dissociative identity disorder.
IMDB - 7.3/10 from 1,271 users | Nominated for 2 Oscars
Wikipedia
Amazon
American independent cinema has had a long and fascinating history. One of the most critically acclaimed early independent films to come out of the US was undoubtedly Frank Perry’s David and Lisa (1962), which was finally released on DVD last year by Image Entertainment.
David and Lisa (1962)
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In David and Lisa we’re introduced to two young, attractive and deeply troubled patients living at a mental health clinic. David (Keir Dullea) suffers from an extreme phobia similar to what many would refer to as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) today, which makes him go berserk anytime another person touches him. Lisa (Janet Margolin) has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and insists on speaking only in rhymes. Somehow these two mentally damaged individuals manage to overcome their personal difficulties and form an uneasy friendship. As the film unfolds their relationship deepens and they’re finally able to help each other come to terms with their psychoses.
David and Lisa (1962)
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Keir Dullea and Janet Margolin are both very good in their roles as David and Lisa. Dullea does a terrific job of portraying an angry and emotionally damaged young man, but I was especially impressed with Janet Margolin. Margolin is really lovely, but also very talented and she imbues Lisa with the perfect combination of innocence and world-weariness. It’s a shame that the actress didn’t find more worthwhile starring roles throughout her rather brief career. She clearly shows great sensitivity as an actress here and her moving performance will stick with you long after David and Lisa has ended.
David and Lisa (1962)
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The film is beautifully shot by director Frank Perry and features some truly impressive black and white cinematography from Leonard Hirschfield. There’s a wonderfully surreal aspect to the film’s eye-catching dream sequences and the melancholy mood of the institution is underscored by the use of stark shadows and startling bursts of light. The film also manages to perfectly convey the isolation that both David and Lisa are clearly feeling with expressive close-ups and long takes. Unfortunately David and Lisa suffers from its melodramatic script (written by Frank Perry’s wife at the time, Eleanor Perry) and the overbearing score by composer Mark Lawrence seems totally out of place and distracting at times, which often diminishes the film’s more subtle moments. I’d personally like to see David and Lisa re-scored by a composer who is more cautious and creative.
David and Lisa (1962)
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When David and Lisa was originally released in 1962 it caused quite a stir. Film critics applauded the movie and audiences embraced it. The film was nominated for many awards, including an Oscar for Best Director. Now that some 45 year have passed since it’s original release, it might be hard for modern audiences to fully appreciate what all the fuss was about. But when David and Lisa is compared to other films about mental illness made prior to it, I think it’s easier to understand the film’s importance. Today many are embracing pharmaceuticals over psychotherapy, but David and Lisa offers an intelligent and sensitive study of mental illness that dares to look at several possible explanations and cures. Parental culpability, childhood trauma, as well as an individual’s sensitivity to their environment, are just a few of the factors that can exacerbate mental illness and I was impressed with the way the film subtly explored them. In the end David and Lisa encourages individuals to take charge of their own lives as well as their mental health and its message should still resonate with many viewers.
David and Lisa (1962)
I hadn't seen this film in decades, and I wondered how well it would hold up now. I needn't have worried: it's still as lovely & touching as I remembered, with the same quiet power that moved me as a teenager. The performances are wonderful, with Keir Dullea's David struggling unsuccessfully to conceal his terror beneath a calm, self-assured, even arrogant facade; and Janet Margolin's glowing Lisa, her big dark eyes conveying fragility, yearning, loneliness & a glimmer of hope with astonishing depth. And the stark black & white photography allows us to glimpse their souls in a way color never could.
David and Lisa (1962)
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As for complaints that the story "blames the parents," please note that Dr. Swinford (a warm & compassionate Howard DaSilva) explains to David that one day he'll understand that his parents also had parents, with their own fears, doubts & unconscious drives. The film doesn't "blame the parents," it merely points out that each person bears the psychological weight & demands of many generations, often unconsciously. This remains as true today as it was then. Psychological healing isn't about "blame," but about recognizing the source of our inner wounds & coming to terms with them within ourselves. Whatever the cause of those wounds, once we're aware of them, the responsibility of facing them is ours alone.
David and Lisa (1962)
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And has psychology learned much more in the 40 years since this film was made? Of course! But that doesn't invalidate the film, both as an expression of a specific time & place, and as a metaphor for healing. No, it's not saying that love & compassion will magically overcome & solve all problems; but it is saying that they're absolutely essential for any hopes of creating a whole & meaningful life. The understanding & tentative union that David & Lisa find together is a beginning, not an end. Who knows what the future will bring? All they (and we) have is this moment, now, reaching out to one another in an often dark & frightening world. And that's a message which is never dated. Most highly recommended!Customer Review, amazon.com
David and Lisa (1962)
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