The Bed-Sitting Room (1969, first viewing)
This is a film adapted from a stage play.
In an undefined future, a short-lived accidental nuclear war has wiped out most of the population. The film takes place in the UK, and is deliberately surreal. The title comes from the fact that one man is experiencing a side-effect of . . . turning into a bed-sitting room. Another woman turns into a wardrobe.
Yeah, it's a weird one.
The main joke of the film is the way that different characters cling to the patterns of their old lives, even as things go crazy around them. For example, one character insists on knocking on a door . . . even though the door is free-standing in the desert. One family lives on the subway, willfully oblivious to the pregnancy of their daughter.
I have to admit that the film was funnier than I expected. One sequence in particular where a woman falls into a man's home through the ceiling. He begs her to "do what my wife used to do". She agrees--and instantly begins throwing cups at him while he pleads with her that he isn't having an affair. When they "finish", he growls "Get out of here, you slut!". I love the idea that these people are desperate for their "normal", even if that normal wasn't pleasant.
There are numerous other absurdities. A man monitors things from a hot air balloon. An old BBC presented carries around a broken television that he can stand inside to deliver "news". Two characters carry around a nuclear bomb so that they can call themselves a "nuclear power". A single man on a bicycle provides all of the nation's electricity.
I'm not sure about recommending this film. I think many people would find it boring or too off-kilter. But if you enjoy absurdity, there are some really funny line-readings, and the film does actually manage to arrive at a satisfying ending.
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Just seen Sydney Pollack directed it...well I never!!
