Madame X: An Absolute Ruler

Like a prior reviewer, I saw Madame X at Anthology Film Archives. It was maybe 20 years ago and I was delighted. I also saw Ulrike Ottinger at Anthology and was also delighted! I don't recall if Madame X was showing when the director was there or whether I saw it on another occasion. In any event, the movie is wonderfully playful and filled with a mirth I love. Yes, there is undoubtedly one or more "x"-ist readings you could do, but I simply enjoyed what I was seeing. In fact, I'd say the movie invites the viewer to do any number of readings desired. But the amazing thing is that it doesn't force the viewer to do that. It merely invites it. That's a fine quality. I still chuckle over the movie when I recall it to my best friend, who saw it with me. And the bearing and beauty of the main character has stayed with me all these years, as well as the characters portrayed by the other actors. The shots and direction are simply excellent.

I had stumbled upon the works of Ulrike Ottinger while walking through SOHO one afternoon. It was there I came across an exhibit of her film stills and was taken away by the imagery, especially "Joan of Arc of Mongolia." There happened to be mini festival of selected films at Anthology Film Archives and Madame X was the film I chose to view.

Not only are the seats at Anthology uncomfortable but it made the experience of sitting through this ponderously, didactic film unbearable. The quality of the film was mediocre. I felt as if I was being beaten over the head with feminist ideology to the point where I wanted to scream. I really didn't care for Madame X and found that even with meticulous editing, it still wouldn't be watchable, since it seemed to run for about 3 hours.

The only saving grace about Madame X is one specific shot, where a dummy in a wheelchair goes off the side of a ship. This broke up the monotony of a truly painful experience...but only briefly.

While Ulrike Ottinger's Madame X is a playful and lively film, it is not easy to sit through without questioning every decision made by Ottinger. From the excessive costume design and makeup to bizarre scenes of a fish getting devoured, the film falls nothing short of camp. Although I did not necessarily enjoy viewing the film due to its lack of eventfulness, I do commend Ottinger for creating a work that successfully fails to be serious. As mentioned by Susan Sontag in "Notes on Camp," camp is a form of refusal to take life or something serious. Madame X resists all type of analysis making it extremely difficult to interpret (Sontag 1964). While I do believe that this is what makes the film so strenuous to watch, it also can account for why it is so thought-provoking. In a world where we tend to analyze every aspect and detail of life and what we consume, Ottinger makes fun of the viewer and their overall cinematic experience (Sontag 1964). I will admit that I was not fond of Madame X while I was staring at the screen. I gained a lot more insight and appreciation for the film after having read Sontag's work on camp. Ultimately, I would recommend for anyone who watches Madame X to pair it with the reading from Sontag since it helps explain the frustration most viewers feel towards the film. Alas, I advise anyone who cannot wrap their head around the 'point' of Madame X to ponder more on why we have the desire for everything to have meaning and less on Ottinger's technical and artistic decisions. As stated by Susan Sontag: "The whole point of Camp is to dethrone the serious."