What Maisie Knew
‘What Maisie Knew’ is a personal re‑reading of the Henry James novel. Here the camera is Maisie, a five‑year‑old girl who gradually becomes aware of how far her life is affected by the sexual relations of the adults she depends on. What we see is what Maisie sees, as well as how she sees and what she thinks she sees – a series of beautifully controlled tableaux composed of various everyday situations in which the dominant theme is sexual interlacement.
The child’s look is at once innocent and corrupt; spying on sexual play but without sexual knowledge. The spectator is put in the position of Maisie, given a child’s eye, a position outside the knowledge. And this position is maintained, for without acquaintance with the book, it is unlikely that a coherent narrative could be constructed from the series of unconnected scenes and fragments of sound that make up the film
– Pam Cook, Monthly Film Bulletin
Description source: Cinenova Catalogue (1994). Edited by Kate Norrish. Editorial committee: Elaine Burrows, Liane Harris, Helen de Witt
