Although not yet forty, Fowler’ literary glory days are behind her, mostly because she no longer has any artistic ambition. Nevertheless, her reputation far eclipses that of her husband, Richard Orloff—and they both know it. Their naïve, deeply devout housekeeper Martha Lund also realizes their unequal prestige. Yet, she is weirdly fascinated by both her new employers.
The feeling is mutual for all three, but not necessarily in sexual ways, although such overtones are never entirely absent. However, it is safe to describe their interests as unhealthy obsessions, partly rooted in their extreme differences of personalities and socio-economic backgrounds. For Orloff, his preoccupation with Lund also takes on fetishistic dimensions, due to his fascination with her burn-scarred skin.
Stylistically, Swon’s film shares an aesthetic kinship with some of Guy Maddin’s films, but it is far less accessible. It is a narrative drama, by any standard, but Barton Cortwright’s dreamlike cinematography and Swon’s reliance on disembodied voice-overs have a distancing effect far more so than in his genuinely creep experimental horror film, The World is Full of Secrets.
However, there is a subtle gothic element that steadily builds a sense of unease. While the strange triangular drama plays out within the house, we hear reports of a strange wolfman-like creature stalking the conservative Midwestern community. Evening Song clearly never aspires to Secrets’ moody dread, but the added macabre accents give it additional flavor.
Nevertheless, this is a standoffish film that many viewers will have difficulty wrapping their heads around. Embracing it will be even more difficult. The ambition and craftsmanship are laudable, but the hallucinatory haze too often produces a sensation of narrative drift. Recommended with the above caveats for experienced patrons of unconventional cinema, An Evening Song (for Three Voices) screens this Saturday and Sunday (5/24 & 5/25) at Anthology Film Archives.
