6. Cathryn - Images (1972)
Reality and make believe collide in this 1972 effort from Robert Altman. Cathryn is having severe problems maintaining her sanity and she draws the viewer into her web of madness, so much so that we ourselves are confused as to what is fiction in the film and what is concrete. Cathryn is a very accomplished woman - she is a successful writer of children's fiction. Cathryn's narration of her books during the film just adds to the atmosphere of madness as she talks of fairy tales and princesses. Her husband thinks she needs a rest, so they head to an isolated house in the country but this only serves to agitate Cathryn's mental malaise further. Are the men she sees real life or apparitions? Will she survive this psychological torpor? Susannah York gives an amazing performance as Cathryn, deftly blending the two worlds of fantasy and reality. On one level her performance is typically schizophrenic but on another level it is intensely personal. The film shows a very absorbing portrayal of schizophrenia.