Sylvia Plath’s favourite films
Sylvia Plath isn’t a name normally associated with cinema. The writer is best known for her poetry collections, which deal in depth with femininity, mental health, and feelings of entrapment and melancholy.
While the writer was inspired by cinema, characters and musicians, little is known about her own tastes and opinions. Born in 1932, Plath lived through the golden age of Hollywood but is associated with a world far from the glory and glitz of studio flicks.
After her marriage to fellow poet Ted Hughes in 1956, the writer moved to England and suffered under an abusive relationship. It’s rare to hear her name spoken about without a clear and quick line being drawn to her mental illness and eventual suicide at the age of only 30. In cultural conversation, Plath’s world was one of nothing but gloom. Her life is often minimised to not much beyond sad poetry and depression, but the writer was a multifaceted person with likes, dislikes, hobbies and desires.
Fans of the writer dedicated enough to read her diaries and letters will have noticed one clear trait: Plath loved culture. Her documents regularly show her attending plays, film screenings and operas. Throughout her life and career, Plath saw as many films as she could, seeking out inspiration and stimulation.
Her diaries, however, were inconsistent and sparse, with big chunks of her life missing. For example, in January 1962, she writes of an evening out, “Sue & her sweet boyfriend Corin took me out to a movie the other night,” but the film isn’t mentioned. However, there are some movies that Plath made note of attending or kept newspaper clippings showing film screenings, clearly making a real impact on her.
One of those films was the 1920 experimental silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The German horror is a weird and winding tale, full of strange images as an insane hypnotist uses a brainwashed victim to commit murders. It’s easy to see how this film would be inspiring to Plath who filled her work with dark and twisted images and metaphors.
Another dark film that perfectly captures the essence of Plath’s writing and inner world is Through A Glass Darkly, a picture she kept a newspaper clipping of. Released in 1961, the Swedish film follows a schizophrenic woman on a vacation, attempting to soothe her mind. It deals with topics of religion, art, psychosis and sexuality, all subject matters that Plath herself regularly delved into. Upon its release, Variety said of the movie, “Not a pleasant film, it is a great one,” which feels like a phrase that could be perfectly applied to the poet’s work.
But Plath wasn’t entirely doom and gloom. While she struggled greatly with her mental health, her entire life was wholly consumed by sadness. On good days, she loved comedy and sought out joy just like the rest of the world. She keeps note of seeing Janie Gets Married, a 1946 lighthearted comedy. As the sequel to 1944’s Janie, the project offers an insight into Plath’s more humorous side.
Sylvia Plath’s favourite films:
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
- Through A Glass Darkly (1961)
- Janie Gets Married (1946)
