Puzzle of a Downfall Child

At the start of his directing career, Schatzberg submitted a story of a former model named Lou Andreas Sand whose life and mental state are on the rocks. Lou takes refuge in an isolated house among the sand dunes, and there she launches into a confession that may or may not be the truth. The reason may very well be that her auditor is Aaron Reinhardt, a man who plans on turning her life story into a movie. Lou relives her past but her perception of reality is corrupt: she gradually loses control of the facts in a narcissistic attempt to conceal aspects of her personality.... Schatzberg in part drew inspiration for his debut from the life of model Anne St. Marie, whom he worked with as a photographer, even consulting with her about the film. The result revealed that the then 43-year-old tyro was a masterful storyteller. His feature drama constructs a fragmented tale out of memories and illusions that impact the heroine’s experience of the present, and the director complements arresting visuals with a complex soundtrack. French New Wave approaches and the influence of Nicolas Roeg made their mark on the self-assured narrative – as did Schatzberg’s fascination with Faye Dunaway who was just 29 at the time of shooting. After the gangster film Bonnie and Clyde (1967) the actress was just at the threshold of a star-studded career but in Schatzberg’s film she portrayed a much older character: the story finds Lou at age 40. Dunaway received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.