Daisies (Chytilová, 1966)
From the opening credits as gears churn amidst hazed out clips of bombings to one of the more joyous finales I can recount, Daisies prances about in a free from manner directly in tune with demeanor of the two young girls it so generously depicts. In much the same way that the two Maries consistently act immature in mature settings, Chytilová joyously frolics between different color schematics and mosaic editing with relentless energy, capturing a twisted and mildly psychedelic version of a teen girl’s fantasy sleepover; one in which everything is ever so slightly naughty.
Featuring two girls who have consciously decided to be “bad” in a “bad world,” Daisies moves with a kinetic ferocity one would not expect from a film that is essentially without a narrative. Sure, there are the lecherous old men the girls have their way with, an attempted suicide followed minutes later by giggling, and a feast that can only be described as smile inductive, but these are mere snapshots of a gloriously free attitude that permeates every frame and every cut of Chytilová truly ingenious romp.
There is one point during Daisies in which Marie I and Marie II both become irked with the fact that “nobody is noticing (them)!” This is almost immediately followed by a “We exist!” march that almost, in a way, encapsulates the entirety of this truly exhilarating piece of the Czech New Wave. The two Maries are keen on overindulgence and nowhere is this more blatantly realized than the conclusion where they stumble upon a banquet to be. At first they play it cautious, trying not to upset the table too much. By the end they have eaten – and drank “oh Johnnie!” – nearly everything on the table. Not content with this, they proceed to have an enormous food fight. Needing further diversion, they tear off the curtains and put on a fashion show. When all is said and done, they vow – over and over again – to work hard and be clean. This, apparently, is the key to happiness, although it is clearly being made a mockery of.
