MagdalenaandMariaaretwotwinsisterswhowereseparatedatbirthandknownothingoftheother’sexistence.bbb?MariarunsawayfromtheboardingschoolinwhichshewasbroughtupandfindsworkasacabaretperformerinthecafésofMarseilles.?Magdalenaliveswithheradoptedparentsandworksinanartgallery.?Thetwosistersarejoinedbyaninvisiblebondwhichdrawsthemtowardsthesametragicconclusion.　　DirectorWernerSchroeterhasacquiredareputationasanexperimentalistfilmmaker,hailedbysomeasanunderratedgenius,reviledbyothersforbeingapeddlerofself-indulgentkitsch.?DeuxisarguablySchroeter’smostambitious,unsettlingandrepulsiveworktodate.?Thedirectorcertainlywastesnotimeinalienatinghisaudience;fromthefirsttenminutesofthefilmitisclearthisisnotgoingtobeaneasyride.?Thenarrativecutshaphazardlybetweenseeminglyunconnectedevents,alternatingbetweenrealismandstylisedfantasydreamsequences,periodicallyshockingthespectatorwithgraphicimagesoflesbiansexandawomanbeingslowlydisembowelled.?Havingseveralactorsplayingmultiplepartsonlyaddstothesenseofartificeandutterconfusion,whichisapityasthereismanifestlyalotofgreatactingtalentonshow–notleastofwhichisIsabelleHuppert.?Thefilm’ssheerrelentlessgrotesquenessandself-indulgenceissoextreme,sounbridled,sostomach-churninglyprovocative,thatitishardtotakeanyofitseriously.