Scyla
Scyla

Movie spotlight

Scyla

1967
Movie
57 min
English

Beach bum Gregory spots the lovely Scyla sunbathing on the beach and immediately becomes infatuated with her. However, Gregory's possessive witch old flame Circe gets jealous when she finds out about his obsession with Scyla and concocts a magic potion to make the beautiful lady ugly.

Insights

IMDb6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes93%
Metacritic78/100
Google Users88%
Director: Frank PerryGenres: Drama, Fantasy

Plot Summary

A man, Ned Merrill, decides to swim home across a series of backyard swimming pools in his affluent suburban neighborhood. His journey is a nostalgic and increasingly desperate attempt to recapture his lost youth and reclaim a life that has slipped through his fingers. Along the way, he encounters former lovers, acquaintances, and friends, each encounter revealing more about his past failures and unraveling his carefully constructed facade.

Critical Reception

The Swimmer is a critically acclaimed film, lauded for its unique narrative, philosophical undertones, and Burt Lancaster's powerful performance. While not a commercial success upon its release, it has since gained a significant cult following and is recognized as a complex and poignant exploration of disillusionment and the passage of time.

What Reviewers Say

  • A visually striking and thematically rich film that uses a surreal premise to explore profound existential themes.

  • Burt Lancaster delivers a masterful performance as a man confronting the emptiness of his life.

  • The film's allegorical nature and ambiguous ending leave a lasting impact, prompting much discussion and interpretation.

Google audience: Google users praise 'The Swimmer' for its thought-provoking narrative and Burt Lancaster's compelling performance. Many find the film's exploration of societal pressures and personal regret to be impactful and resonant, though some note its melancholic tone.

Fun Fact

The film was based on a short story of the same name by John Cheever, which first appeared in The New Yorker in 1957.

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