We haven't had any faux lesbianism in a while. We also have not had any killer children thus far either. Let's fix both oversights with...
This is one of those rare films that was shocking in its own time and really still is. Joining such film as Caligula and Cannibal Holocaust is a unique honor. In addition, this is made by a French director, so you would expect some classiness. Not so much.
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Another quick note. I made a joke about there being 'faux lesbianism' in the movie. To clarify, the closest you get in physical contact is this. There is talk about it, but no follow-up. Given how young the leads are, this is a given. The point was made with just the idea of it being around. Also, this is based on the same real-life crime that Heavenly Creatures is, just made in 1971.
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Two girls walk into a Church and one of them wants to be a Satanist. Bad joke, but adequate set-up to the film. Two Catholic schoolgirls who are not related, but act like sisters, share a bond of disdain with their strict upbringing. They rebel in subtle ways like stealing 'smut' from the attic and more overt ways like doing their own Satanic mass. The girls live in nearby countryside manors and spend all the time they can together.
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The movie is subtle about getting 'full-on strange.' It escalates slowly but surely. The brunette goes a bit crazier than her blond friend does though. She starts out by killing her gardener's birds one-by-one. Why? Good question. This is actually in 'retaliation' to the gardener attempting to have sex with her friend...after she flashed her panties at him for several minutes and consented. Good moral system, huh?
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"Don't Deliver" does take some major deviations from the real-life case. For one thing, the mother is never a 'threat' to their happiness. As a result, she is not a target for elimination or death. Instead, this comes to a random man that they come across. After enticing him with her ways,- including dancing around in her underwear- the man makes a move and is killed in 'self-defense.' The clues begin to lead to the girls, which leads them, in turn, to make their final, decisive move.
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As an art film, this film is full of unique imagery and creative storytelling. It definitely will not be for everyone with though. What with the nubile young girls acting sort of evil, the men being thoughtless-pigs and there being a scene of two girls turned into human candles. For what it wants to be, it is quite strong. Whether you choose to like what it wants to be is up to you.
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One last one to go and it's a doozy. Who has the best sword? The Devil does. Stay tuned...
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