The Dryden will screen Secret Ceremony (Joseph Losey, U.S. 1968, 109 min., 35mm).

Panned by most film critics on its initial release, Joseph Losey's adaptation of Argentine writer Marco Denevi's novella Ceremonia secreta has slowly gained wider appreciation with the passing years. This psychological drama has at its heart the sad belief as stated by Losey ". . . that people come to you only when they need you, or when they need something from you, and they discard you when the use is finished." Elizabeth Taylor and Mia Farrow are at the center of this deliberately paced, ritualistic tale, as Leonora and Cenci. They are equally damaged spirits, whose physical resemblance inspires them to form a pseudo mother-daughter bond for companionship and eventually, protection. Robert Mitchum is Cenci's dangerous, lecherous stepfather; Pamela Brown and Peggy Ashcroft are her less-than-friendly aunts. Taylor, always the true professional, takes great risks with her character, and especially with her own cinematic image. In the long run, it pays off.

[source: George Eastman Museum website, 2016-Oct-17]