Lizzie Borden is a feminist symbol of the 19th century.
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On August 4, 1892, the bodies of Andrew and Abby Borden were found murdered in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts. Lizzie Borden, the younger daughter of Andrew, was the main suspect. She was tried but later acquitted of all charges and the case was never brought up again. Except it’s still a case that is relevant to this day, evident in the form of yet another adaptation.
Craig William Mcneill’s “Lizzie” joins a long line of film, television, literature and music associated with the real-life tale of Lizzie Borden. The film opens on the aftermath of the deaths of Andrew (Jamey Sheridan) and Abby Borden (Fiona Shaw), before flashing back to the events that lead to their grisly death.
Lizzie (Chloë Sevigny) is painted to look like the main suspect from the get go. She has a strained relationship with her father. She despises her passive stepmother. She’s suspicious of her uncle John who she believes is after her inheritance. The only people she gets along with are her sister Emma and the Borden’s new house maid, Brigdet (Kristen Stewart).
Lizzie’s relationship with Bridget blossoms as they begin to spend more time together. This angers Andrew and he forbids Lizzie to be anything more than a lady to her maid. His continuous sexual mistreatments of Bridget only further angers Lizzie.
Sevigny shines brightest when Lizzie is at her lowest. Hell truly hath no fury like a woman scorned and Sevigny embodies that in her committed portrayal of Lizzie with her stoic outlook that masks the simmering anger inside. Stewart also proves to be more than just that girl from Twilight by adopting an Irish accent and really letting herself go when emotions come into play.
The film may feel like a slow burn much like the many candlelights lit, but the built up tension is finally relieved by climactic murder scenes that borderlines poetic. And while the film doesn’t necessarily give us any new insight to the centuries-old crime, it does highlight Lizzie Borden as a feminist symbol of the 19th century.
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