The Maids (1975)

'The Maids' is a striking adaptation of Jean Genet's seminal play, a testament to the avant-garde era of French playwriting it was birthed from in 1946. At its heart, the film tells the tale of Solange and Claire, two maids shackled by servitude in the opulent home of a wealthy Parisian woman. Their days are steeped in resentment, their dreams filled with visions of escape and retribution against their oppressive Madame. As the story unfolds, the lines between reality and illusion begin to blur. When Madame is away, the maids engage in a dangerous game of make-believe, trading their cleaning rags for Madame's luxurious attire, adopting her haughty demeanor, and spewing venomous insults meant for her. This dance of deception, filled with high rhetoric and a perverse sense of liberation, transforms their mundane lives into a theatre of the absurd, turning the very essence of evil into an intoxicating religious ecstasy. However, beneath the surface of these role-playing games, Genet explores deeper themes of false illusions and unattainable desires. Both the maids and their mistress are ensnared in a dizzying whirligig of delusions, where the roles they play and the personas they yearn to be are ultimately unachievable. In this twisted world where fantasy is the only refuge from their servitude, the maids' pursuit of liberation spirals into a tragic conclusion. 'The Maids' serves as a masterful exploration of identity, power, and desire, revealing the chilling consequences when dreams of revenge and freedom collide with the harsh realities of servitude. This film invites viewers on a mesmerizing journey into a world where the lines between the servant and the served are perilously blurred, and where the pursuit of liberation can lead to unforeseen tragedy.

The Maids is a drama movie featuring Glenda Jackson and directed by Christopher Miles.

The Maids is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy and it's also available on OVID.

It is also possible to buy The Maids on Amazon Video and Kino Now.