Baxter, Vera Baxter (1977)

Trapped in an unhappy marriage, a thirtysomething woman Vera Baxter (Claudine Gabay) recounts her life to a mysterious woman (Delphine Seyrig) she has only just met. Based on the play SUZANNA ANDLER  by and directed by Marguerite Duras (INDIA SONG). Duras once again brings her unique brand of film making in this existential stylized look at a woman's desolation. Duras' Vera Baxter can't seem to make a decision as she sits alone in a huge house and drowns herself in melancholy. It takes a stranger, who has an ancient bond with her, to draw her out of her malaise. The film has an intentionally monotonous underscore courtesy of Carlos D'Alessio which plays nonstop throughout the movie to accent Vera's anguish and although I understand why Duras wanted this music to accompany Vera's angst, it gave me a headache after awhile. Actually, I'm surprised how much I liked it (the movie, not the score) and its haunting quality. With Gerard Depardieu and Noelle Chatelet.