I SAW LIZZIE (THE LEGEND OF LIZZIE BORDEN)

For the sake of adding another notch to my Lizzie Borden, movie belt, I've visited the 2018 production, Lizzie, directed by Craig William Macneill and written by Bryce Kass. 

This speculative venture works rather like Mary Reilly (the Jekyll/Hyde tale, as retold through a servant's vantage). In this instance, it's Kristen Stewart's Bridget Sullivan, aka Maggie, who pulls the viewers in, though Chloe Sevigny's Lizzie Borden is ever present. In fact, she's the anchor, the allegorical pendulum, who motivates and inspires Maggie throughout the slow-burn, character-driven plot. 

The ladies are joined by Jamey Sheridan's Andrew Borden; Fiona Shaw's Abbey Borden; Kim Dickens' Emma Borden; and Denis O'Hare's John Morse. They create the expected, dysfunctional clan and instill the movie's harsh, haunting ambience. In some respects, Lizzie's staging would have worked (or could yet work) as a play and a powerful one at that, just based on its saturating setups and refined engagements.  

In this version of the legend, Lizzie and Maggie grow intimate (indeed, a significant, forbidden merger for the time), but then, Maggie is also intimate with Lizzie's father. The dynamic causes ample tension, with Mr. Borden not approving of his daughter and maid's "sinful" attraction to each other. That Lizzie's mother backs his disdain makes matters all the worse. It's this parental denouncement that triggers Lizzie's breakdown and revolt, with Maggie willing to assist, but does the unassuming housekeeper hold the required edge to fulfill the violence required?

The tension reaches a feverish pitch in what becomes (in my bold estimation) the most brutal depictions of the slayings, not so much for the blood spilt, but rather the blunt brutality invested through the performers. In other words, the ax attacks feel real ... perhaps, a little too real.

Nevertheless, the journey leading to that monstrous moment makes Lizzie one to watch and (if one has a penchant for the macabre) relish. I'm surprised I didn't hear about this one over the years, but I'm glad to have discovered it. 

For those interested, Lizzie is available on Amazon Prime, Tubi, Pluto TV and the Roku Channel. If you're hooked on the revived interest in Lizzie Borden, you've good cause to watch it.