CHARLIE SAYS

US, 2019, 110 minutes, Colour.
Hannah Murray, Matt Smith, Sosie Bacon, Marianne Rendon, Merritt Wever, Suki Waterhouse, Chace Crawford, Annabeth Gish, Kayli Carter, Grace Van Dien.
Directed by Mary Harron.

Mary Harron has made a number of striking crime dramas, stories of prominent real-life characters. They include I Shot Andy Warhol, The Notorious Betty Page. She also directed American Psycho.

The Charlie of the title is Charles Manson and this is a portrait of his family, living in the ranch outside Los Angeles, his Svengali -like power over them, their cult -like life, ultimately their violent spree, however these are presented in flashbacks, flashbacks to 1969.

The main action of the film takes place from 1971 on, a focus on three of the young women who are part of the cult, their imprisonment, questions of their rehabilitation, an attempt by an adult educator to work with them and the results.

Hannah Murray plays the central young woman of the three, Leslie who became Lulu. She is shown to be momentarily sceptical at times in her dealings with Manson and his behaviour and ideas. However, she became desperately committed, participating in the crimes, remaining loyal in jail, as do the other two women. Merritt Wever plays the educator who works with women prisoners, has sessions with the three women, urging them to read, to think, to discuss, to reassess their lives – though she realises that if they do acknowledge what happened to them and what they did, it would be an enormous burden on them. In fact, one of them, Susan, becomes a born-again Christian. Lulu who had cut himself off from her mother, has a prison visit with her, comes to some realisation and decides to go back to her name, Leslie.

The film has quite a charismatic performance by British actor, Matt Smith, as Charles Manson. He is not portrayed as a black-and-white monster, rather as a sinister cult leader who can conceal his misogyny, racism, sinister violence in the name of Scripture, under a mask of charm. His performance enables the audience to understand something of why he would have had such an influence on the women.

A year after this film, Quentin Tarantino made Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, enabling a 21st-century audience, quite wide because of Tarantino’s popularity, to go again to Manson and his family, see them in their life at the ranch, witness their mad spree.

The ranch where this film was shot is the same one that Tarantino uses in his film, a familiarity for the audience.

1. The title? Charles Manson, his commands, the loyalty of the women? The consequences?

2. Los Angeles, 1969, the ranch, the layout, the interiors? The roads, the mountains, the wealthy homes? The musical score?

3. Audience knowledge of Charles Manson, his cult and community, their beliefs, lifestyle? Indoctrination and brainwashing? The biblical background? Apocalyptic? Helter Skelter?

4. The narrative: 1969, the group walking up the road, the hitchhike, the breakfast? The ship to 3 years later? The three women in prison? Their cells, seclusion? The insertion of the flashbacks, the history of each of the characters, the emphasis on Leslie, her becoming Lulu, the Manson experience through her eyes? The introduction of the other characters? The impact of Charles Manson himself?

5. Audience reaction to the three women, their backgrounds before joining Manson, rough lives, crime…? The focus on Leslie, her becoming Lulu? Her naivete, breaking from her mother? Her asking questions and being put down? The audience learning the rituals of community life through her, the meals, men first? The friendship with the other women and their support? The bonding of the group? Group-think? Katie and Susan within this context?

6. The credibility of their brainwashing, their absolute belief, Charlie says…? The portrait of Charles Manson, Matt Smith’s performance, appearance, not as monstrous as might be expected, mad, obsessed? Sexist, racist? His chauvinistic manner? Yet his charm, affirming each of the girls, controlling them through charm, dependency? His music, singing and playing, the women’s response? His song? The visitors, supporting him? Terry Melcher, the audition, the failure, his rationalising to the women, smashing the guitars and his anger?

7. His treatment of the young woman, getting the group to remove her clothes, her embarrassment, the affirmation, her surrender?

8. Lulu, her experiences, the encounter with the man and Manson expelling him? Taking her to the cliff? The rescuer coming, Manson and his hands, shrugging her off (and this image recurring at the end close friend? The other women and their taking Manson for granted, the role of Squeaky From?

9. The range, the owner, blind, television, Squeaky, sexual behaviour?

10. The men in the group, Tex Watson, group sex, his leaving, returning, participation and violence? Brainwash, his rationale? The other men present, subsidiary to the women?

11. The warden at the prison, stern, yet providing them with some education, Karlene Faith, her work with the other women in the prison, being introduced to 3, her concern about them, disapproval, yet trying to understand, the issue of their coming to appreciate what they had done and living with that horror? Discussions about feminism? Their not reading, worlds opening up? The discussions? Questioning Karlene and her family, her husband, her work? The growing ease with the interactions, sitting on the floor? Karlene and her involvement? Change?

12. The sequences of the actual killings, the preparation, the stabbing of the chair, Manson working them into a frenzy? His rationale? The scouting of the homes, their thinking themselves in visible? Stealing wallets? The return? Lulu asking to be in the group? The link with Terry Melcher and his house in the hills? The brutality of the violence, especially Tex, the invitation to Lulu and her stabbing the dead woman?

13. The television sequence, their watching Sharon Tate being interviewed about her life, her career, Roman Polanski and his films – and the tenderness with which she spoke? The pathos of her being the victim of the Manson’s?

14. The change in the women, the gradual process, the various incidents, resistance, shaving their heads, the change over a period? Lulu always questioning? The visit from her mother? Her wanting to be called Leslie?

15. The wardsman, his care, kindness?

16. The subsequent information? Susan is born-again and dying, the others and subsequent custody?

17. A contribution to the explorations of the Manson group phenomenon?