Brian De Palma's SISTERS

Wow! It's been a long time since I've seen a film that's left me breathless; this is what I've been looking for. De Palma's castration anxiety may have been explored more effectively in future films (I can't honestly say, I've never been much of a fan), but it certainly finds its roots in this film. An angry and perhaps confessional critique of female oppression, professionally (the protagonist, played by Jennifer Salt) and psychologically (the sisters, played by Margot Kidder). What's really impressive is that the film offers no easy scapegoat. The doctor (William Finley) could have easily been the film's villain, but he's turned into a pathetic and surprisingly tragic character before his demise (his confession of love for Danielle was so sudden and seemed so genuine to me, it nearly brought tears to my eyes; I can't honestly say I've experienced that in a thriller before). All things said, it's still damn good strictly as a thriller/murder mystery, and on the level of craft, it's pretty astonishing. And, to top it all off, how the hell did he manage to make the film so damn funny?