Lilith (film)

Lilith is a 1964 American psychological drama film directed by Robert Rossen and starring Warren Beatty, Jean Seberg, Peter Fonda, and Kim Hunter. It is based on the 1961 novel of the same name by J.R. Salamanca.

The film tells the story of Vincent Bruce (Beatty), a war veteran who takes a job as an occupational therapist at a private mental institution called Poplar Lodge in Maryland. Vincent becomes increasingly fascinated with Lilith Arthur (Seberg), a beautiful but deeply disturbed young woman who is a patient at the institution. Lilith possesses a childlike innocence and exhibits behaviors that are both captivating and unsettling.

As Vincent dedicates himself to helping Lilith, he finds himself drawn into her world of fantasy and illusion. His professional distance erodes, and he becomes emotionally entangled with her. Their relationship becomes increasingly complex and destructive, blurring the lines between therapist and patient, reality and delusion. The film explores themes of madness, love, obsession, and the fragile nature of the human psyche.

The supporting cast includes Fonda as Teddy, another patient who forms a connection with Lilith, and Hunter as Dr. Bea Brice, a psychiatrist who observes Vincent’s growing infatuation with concern.

Lilith received mixed reviews upon its release and was not a commercial success. However, it has since garnered a cult following and is now regarded as a complex and challenging work that explores the darker aspects of human psychology. The film is notable for its atmospheric cinematography by Eugen Schüfftan and its exploration of mental illness, themes that were relatively uncommon in mainstream American cinema at the time.