MagdalenaandMariaaretwotwinsisterswhowereseparatedatbirthandknownothingoftheother’sexistence. 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.
