SAINT MAUD
UK, 2019, 84 minutes, Colour.
Morfydd Clark, Jennifer Ehle, Lily Knight, Lily Fraser, Rosie Sansom, Marcus Hutton.
Directed by Rose Glass.
No, this is not hagiography. But, the central character, Maud, feels she is called to be saintly in her work as a palliative carer.
The trailer seemed to indicate that this is a horror film. There are a few moments which looked like horror film material, but they are a few moments. Rather, this is a psychological study, of a young woman, her nursing experience, her tasks in palliative care, her relationship to her patients/clients.
We do see Maud initially kneeling on the floor, with blood on her hands. We are initially suspicious. Some explanation will be given much later. But, then we see Maud, in the Yorkshire town of Scarborough, a very small flat, a dingy street, her commenting that she was not well, going to the bottom of a high hill, trudging up to the mansion she glimpses, welcomed by the departing carer, settling in, meeting her client, Amanda, terminally ill, a former choreographer and dancer.
Maud is played by Morfydd Clark. Amanda is played by veteran, Jennifer Ehle.
Maud looks plain, dresses in uniform, is devout, signs of the cross, crucifix, Marian statues, religious iconography in her flat, grace before meals. So, an introduction to St Maud. She is diligent in her work, preparing meals, sharing and supervising physical exercise for Amanda, even, at Amanda’s invitation, talking about her experience of God, her all-pervasive sense of God, even the physical repercussions of her sense of God’s presence.
She shares with a sympathetic Amanda, who calls Maud her little saint, gives her an inscribed book of the art of William Blake which stirs Maud’s imagination, especially with images of God, flexed Annunciation organised religion as a detrimental to spirituality. But this will have unexpected consequences for Maud.
Maud’s proper and disapproves of Amanda’s relationships, visitors, even taking one visitor aside to warn her not to come back and disturb Amanda.
And, there is continual voice-over, Maud’s voice, praying to God, talking to God, God talking back.
And, with some of her behaviour, wondering about her past, Maud encountering a friend from past work and finding she has another name, we are also wondering about Maud’s mental state. And, the rest of the film gives quite some cause for our wonder and concern. Schizophrenia suggests itself, Maud and her alternate name, alternate behaviour, Maud indulging in severe bodily mortification, burning her hand willingly, nails in her shoe as she walks…
Morfydd Clark gives a persuasive performance, perhaps reminding the audience of a young Sissy Spacek in look and manner (and, at the end of the film, reminiscent of Sissy Spacek in the climax of Carrie).
While the film’s screenplay leaves it to the audience to assess Maud and what happens to her, the finale, on the beach at Scarborough, reinforces both Maud’s sense of holiness, even martyrdom, as well as destructive madness.
Quite a challenging case study.
1. The title? Expectations? Reference to Mary Magdalen? Audience expectations of a saint?
2. The UK settings? The town of Scarborough, the town itself, the sea, the waterfront, entertainment centres? The hill, the mansion on the hill, interiors? The narrow streets, Maud’s flat? The ominous musical score?
3. The opening, Maud and the blood on her hands, Terra? Sitting at home?
4. The contrast with Maud, her modest flat, her comments about her health, menstruation, going to work, Amanda as her new client? Arriving, the information from the departing nurse, her room?
5. Amanda, her background as dancer, choreographer, the photos, the videos? Her illness? Terminal? Her personality? Maud and her care, the conversations, preparing the meals, the baths, the physical exercise? Maud living in, observing?
6. Maud and her religious perspective, the crucifix, statues and pictures in the flat? Her talking about her religious experience? The experience of God, feeling God, God taking over, the audience seeing the physical takeover? The discussions with Amanda, Amanda listening, saying she shared the experience? Calling Maud her little saint? The gift and inscription, the images of God through William Blake, Maud cutting them out, pasting them on the wall, black and his comment about organised religion is against spirituality?
7. Maud, sign of the cross, grace before meals, her talking to God, her expressing her religious experience?
8. Richard, his visit, Maud’s disapproval, Richard and Amanda together? Carol and her visits, Amanda and the sexual liaison? Maud disapproving, taking Carol aside, warning her not to come back?
9. Maud, the encounter with joy on the street, indications about Maud’s past, in the hospital, the death? The revelation that her real name was Katie?
10. Katie and the change, the revealing dress, going to the pub, flirting, the sexual encounter with the young man, the group at the other table, her bumping into the man who took her home, the sexual encounter, the aftermath?
11. The audience understanding Katie/Maud’s mental state, two different names, two different worlds, two different behaviours, evil and holiness and service, schizophrenia?
12. Maud and mortification, kneeling, burning her hand on the stove and picking it, the nails and her shoe and walking?
13. Maud going back to work, the party, doing the shopping, preparing the savouries, Amanda and the range of guests, Carol present, Amanda ridiculing Maud, the revelation about her talking privately to Carol? Maud’s violent reaction?
14. Maud back at home, the preoccupation with God, cleaning the flat? Going for the war, the conversation with Esther, Esther and the vocation of palliative care? Maude walking off?
15. Joy and her visit, encouraging Maud? The aftermath, Maud in the robe, talking with God, the continued conversations about God testing her, calling her, what God does to friends – and worst for those he disapproves of?
16. The final madness, going to the beach, dousing herself, seeing the people on the beach near down and raise their hands in admiration? Setting fire, the brief visuals of the fire? The end? And leaving the audience to assess Maud, her mental state, her interpretation of being a saint?
