SINGLE WHITE FEMALE

US, 1992, 103 minutes, Colour.
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bridget Fonda, Steven Weber, Stephen Tobolowski.
Directed by Barbet Schroeder.

Single White Female is a psychological thriller as well a portrait of urban terror gone berserk. The title comes from an advertisement for a New York paper as the heroine advertises for someone to live in for safety's sake. The heroine is well played by Brigid Fonda. In answer to her advertisement she gets Jennifer Jason Leigh, an excellent actress who can be heroine as well as villain (in such films as Last Exit from Brooklyn, Miami Blues). The film starts quietly as a psychological thriller but by the end has built up into grand guignol horror. The film was directed by Barbet Schroeder, whose French films included Maitresse and whose American films include Barfly and Reversal of Fortune.

1. Interesting and entertaining thriller? Psychological thriller? Urban horror?

2. The title, the advertisement, the focus on Allison and her status? The film and many women, race issues, urban issues? The eerie aspects of New York.

3. The New York settings, upper Manhattan, the west side? The stylish apartment block, exteriors, interiors, the apartments, the pipes, the staircases, the basement? The differences between interiors and exteriors? The musical score?

4. The prologue and the picture of the two little girls, a story from the past? Identity mirror images, the looking glass, the puzzle, death? The story of Hedra's past? Her interpretation of her relationship with her sister?

5. Allison as heroine and audiences identifying with her? Her success, life style? Computer talent? Her background? The apartment? Her relationship with Sam, the affair, the phone calls from his ex-wife? Sam and his hesitation, going back to his wife? Allisons's anger? Her friendship with Graham? Her decision to put in the advertisement, the ad and the focus, the collage of interviews and Allison's dissatisfaction, her collapse, Heddy's niceness, helping? Allison making the decision for her to stay?

6. Heddy coming from the country, her shyness and awkwardness? Her helping around the apartment? Allison's happiness with Heddy as the roommate? Heddy and her isolation, loner behaviour? Her erasing the messages from Sam? The dog and her jealousy - and the dog's death? The growing jealousy, the tantrums? Her wanting to take over Allison's identity - and the memories of the sinister past?

7. Allison, her skills at work, the contrast at home, her growing bewilderment? Sam and the erased messages, meeting him again, the hotel, the beginning again of the affair? Heddy and her reactions? Sam - and the death of the dog? Heddy twisting the events for Allison's interpretation?

8. Allison and her work, the encounters with Mitchell, his coming on to her? Her complaining to Heddy? The strengths of Heddy's phone call and pretending to be
Allison? Setting him up for threat?

9. Allison and her having to face the evidence of Heddy's change? The hair cut and Heddy looking like Allison? The clothes? Heddy finally going to the hotel, the night with Sam, the brutality of killing him - and the stiletto shoes?

10. Graham and his friendship, his warning Allison? The background of the ducks in the apartment and people being able to hear? Heddy hearing Graham talking with Allison? The violence of her attack? Leaving him to die?

11. The build-up to the confrontation between the two women? Allison's horror at what had happened, especially to Sam? Heddy and her possessiveness, identification? In
Graham's apartment, tying up Allison? Mitchell Mason coming, his death?

12. The suicide note, the build-up to the struggle, Graham not dead and coming to Allison's help? Going down to the basement, the violence and melodrama of the basement struggle?

13. The transition from personal drama to violent melodrama? The portrait of contemporary women? The dangers in the American city? Comment on relationships, violence and death?