Saint Maud

 

Written and directed by Rose Glass, Saint Maud is the story of a nurse who has become religious following a traumatic incident as she hopes to save the soul of a patient she is caring for. The film is an exploration of a woman seeking redemption by becoming Catholic as she deals with a troubled patient whom she believes has been corrupted by Satan. Starring Morfydd Clark, Lily Frazer, Lily Knight, Marcus Hutton, Turlough Convery, Rosie Sansom, and Jennifer Ehle. Saint Maud is a chilling yet evocative film from Rose Glass.

The film revolves around a young nurse who becomes a private carer for a revered yet hedonistic dance choreographer who is dying of cancer as she would care for her only to get more than she bargained for as she seeks the help of God to save this woman. It is a film that explores a young woman who had recently converted to Roman Catholicism following an incident that left a patient dead though many feel that she isn’t at fault over what happened. Rose Glass’ screenplay opens with this incident that leaves this young nurse traumatized as it then cuts to a moment sometime later where she’s alone and getting ready to care for a new patient under a private agency. The protagonist in Katie (Morfydd Clark) had changed her name to Maud as she would care for this once famous dancer/choreographer in Amanda (Jennifer Ehle) who is suffering from stage four lymphoma as Maud does a lot to help Amanda physically but also spiritually despite the fact that Amanda is an atheist.

Yet, Maud is dealing with a mysterious presence that she believes is God but is troubled by the presence of Amanda’s lover Carol (Lily Frazer) whom Maud believes is corrupting her. Maud does what she can only to be pushed to the edge where she also contends with her own vices and guilt over what happened to a patient she tried to save. Especially as she was once known as someone who was socially-active and chaotic but she had since become withdrawn and devoted to God where reality and fiction would collide. Glass’ script also plays up into Maud’s own supposed encounters with God as a book that Amanda gave her with religious imagery would only heighten her mission to save Amanda.

Glass’ direction is largely straightforward in terms of her compositions yet there are elements of surrealism that does add to the troubled mental state of Maud. Shot on location in North London and Scarsborough as this seaside town in Britain, Glass doesn’t go for something very stylish early on as her approach to wide and medium shots help play into the locations but also a world that Maud is living in as she’s conflicted by this modern lifestyle that everyone around her is living with a more chaste life in which she sees a lot of things go wrong. Notably in a brief scene where she gives change to a homeless person in a hope to make that man’s life a bit better. Yet, there is something off about it as well as it relates to that homeless man as it plays into Maud’s disconnect with the real world. The usage of close-ups are also prominent throughout the film as it play into Maud talking to God as the film often features a lot of voiceover narration as if she’s having a conversation with God. Even in scenes where Maud is at her little apartment home as it plays into her own disconnect with the real world.

Glass’ direction also play into the drama that looms throughout Maud in her attempts to get the agnostic Amanda to be with God and away from temptation. Yet, she is confronted by the fact that Amanda is hedonistic and likes to party as a way to cope with dying where Maud is forced to face reality. Glass would have Maud attempt to return to the real world but there are scenes that do play into this idea of a spiritual world calling to her whether there’s things in the background vibrating around Maud or a scene where she is convinced that God is talking to her. It all leads to this third act of her wanting to prove her devotion but it would blur the lines of reality and fantasy to herself and those around her. Overall, Glass crafts an unsettling yet riveting film about a young nurse’s devotion to God following a traumatic incident that left her patient dead.

Cinematographer Ben Fordesman does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key lighting for many of the interior scenes at night as well as some of the scenes outside of Amanda’s house with more vibrant lights for the scenes in the town with more natural yet low-key lighting for the daytime scenes. Editor Mark Towns does amazing work with the editing with its stylish approach to jump-cuts and montages that help play into the drama and suspense as well as blurring the lines between reality and fantasy in Maud’s perspective as it is a highlight of the film. Production designer Paulina Rzeszowska, with set decorator Anna Mould and art director Isobel Dunhill, does excellent work with the look of Maud’s small apartment home as well as the house that Amanda lives in. Costume designer Tina Kalivas does terrific work with the costumes as it has some style in the clothes that Amanda wears to the more demure clothing that Maud wears except in her attempts to reconnect with the world.

Hair/makeup/special makeup effects designer Jacquetta Levon does fantastic work with the look of the characters including Amanda in her decaying state while she also wears wigs as well as the look of Maud who becomes crazier during the film’s progression. Special effects supervisors Scott MacIntyre and Eddy Popplewell, along with visual effects supervisors Nicholas Bennett, Nick Bennett, and Gary J. Brown, do nice work with the visual effects as there’s bits of set-dressing in some scenes but also in some of the weather formation that Maud would see as if God appears to her. Sound designer Paul Davies does superb work with the sound as it plays into the atmosphere of the rooms but also the things that Maud would hear as it adds to the drama and suspense as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Adam Janota Bzowski is incredible for this eerie and brooding score that is largely based on dark-ambient electronic textures along with some low-sounding strings as it adds to the sense of discomfort in the film while music supervisor Jen Moss provides a soundtrack of music that is diverse as it features music from Gang of Four, the Jesus Lizard, Austerity, ESG, Naked Naked, Al Bowlly, Fxckers, Ruby Murray, and an acapella version of Hank Williams’ I Saw the Light that is sung by Maud during a key moment in the film.

The casting by Kharmel Cochrane is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Carl Prekopp as a homeless man, Marcus Hutton and Turlough Convery as a couple of men Maud meets in her attempt to reconnect with the real world, Rosie Sansom as a nurse that Maud would meet late in the film, Lily Frazer as a lover of Amanda in Carol who likes to encourage and enable Amanda’s bad habits, and Lily Knight as a nurse in Joy whom Maud used to work with as she knew what had happened and wanted to catch up.

Jennifer Ehle is phenomenal as Amanda Kohl as a revered dancer/choreographer who is dying from stage four lymphoma as she is also an atheist who is baffled by Maud’s beliefs while also trying to be open to it only to later be dismissive of those beliefs as she finds a way to push Maud’s buttons. Finally, there’s Morfydd Clark in a tremendous performance as Katie/Maud as this young woman who has recently converted to Catholicism following a traumatic event as she is hoping to save Amanda’s soul. Clark’s performance brings a lot of physicality to her work as well as being someone that is devoted to God as it plays into her own mental descent as it adds to the chaotic element of her performance as it is a career-defining feat from Clark.

Saint Maud is a spectacular film from Rose Glass that features an outstanding break-out performance from Morfydd Clark. Along with a great supporting performance from Jennifer Ehle, its haunting music soundtrack, intoxicating visuals, and its study of a woman’s devotion to God that would eventually lead to madness. It is a chilling character study of sorts that plays into a woman who is still haunted by trauma and is eager to save a hedonistic woman from herself only to take extreme measures to prove her worth to God. In the end, Saint Maud is a sensational film from Rose Glass.

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