Petulia (1968)

In the midst of the opulent and beguiling world of San Francisco's elite, newlywed socialite Petulia Danner, married only six months to the respected naval engineer David Danner, finds herself inexplicably drawn towards Dr. Archie Bollen, a physician on the brink of divorce. Despite the ten-year span of his seemingly perfect marriage to Polo, Archie is navigating his own labyrinth of shifting relationships, making sense of his evolving dynamics with his ex-wife, his sons, and friends who remember him as part of a couple. Their worlds collide at a hospital charity event where Petulia, with her captivating charm and disarming vulnerability, unabashedly throws herself at Archie. She is a whimsical enigma, making bold declarations of an impending marriage between them, even as Archie is exploring his newfound freedom and dating a woman named May. Archie's knowledge of Petulia, originally limited to her act of bringing a severely injured young Mexican boy to the hospital, soon expands, unveiling a complex web of relations involving Petulia, her husband, and her affluent father-in-law. As Archie delves deeper, he discovers a darker side to Petulia's seemingly perfect world. He returns to his apartment one day to find her savagely beaten, left unconscious, presumably at the hands of her husband. The ripples of their entanglement extend far beyond their immediate lives, impacting Archie's relationship with Polo and revealing the alarming consequences of getting involved with Petulia. The film builds towards a climactic conclusion, shedding light on how Petulia and Archie respond to the traumatic abuse and the profound effects it has on their intertwined destinies. Petulia's relentless pursuit of Archie and their subsequent entanglement weaves an intricate narrative of love, deception, and the high stakes of societal pressure.

Petulia is a drama movie featuring Julie Christie.

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