Daisies (1966)

My first blog I write on friendrewind and not on my blogs already written on spacehey.

When talking about Daisies, it's common to describe it as a chaotic, irreverent, and even incomprehensible film at first glance. However, behind all that, the director builds a fierce critique of a society that demands order, obedience, and proper manners, especially from women.

The protagonists, Marie I and Marie II, come to a conclusion as simple as it is provocative: if the world is corrupt, so will they be. From that idea, they start a series of games where they trick men, waste food, destroy spaces, and defy any rules of behavior. They're not trying to be heroines or villains; they just refuse to play the role society expects of them.

Among all the men who appear in the movie, there is one who stands out for being different: the young lover.

Unlike the older men, who are used by the Maries to get dinners, gifts, or simply have fun, this character seems to be looking for something deeper. His phone calls and meetings show a genuine interest in Marie II. He doesn’t seem to want to impress her with money or exaggerated gestures; he simply wants to see her, talk to her, and spend time together.

The scenes where the young man makes phone calls reveal a very marked emotional contrast. While he insists on keeping in touch and shows concern for her, Marie II responds with a distant and almost carefree attitude. She never seems to match the intensity with which he tries to get close. That doesn't necessarily mean she feels nothing. It just seems like she avoids getting emotionally involved.  

Throughout the movie, Marie lives by her own rules. Accepting a stable relationship would mean giving up, at least in part, that chaotic freedom she has built. That's why her responses are usually ambiguous, playful, or indifferent. It's an interesting dynamic because the young man represents something that almost never appears in Daisies: a possibility of genuine affection.

One of the most intimate moments between them happens when Marie II appears naked in front of the young man.

In another movie, this scene would probably be framed from a male desire perspective, but the director presents it differently. Marie doesn’t seem to become an object of contemplation; she’s the one who completely controls the situation.

Her nudity doesn’t convey just eroticism. It also reflects a strange mix of confidence and vulnerability. Paradoxically, even though she shows herself physically without hiding, emotionally she remains a mystery. The young man seems to look at her with admiration and even tenderness, while she maintains that emotional barrier that defines all her behavior.

It's one of those moments where the movie hints that Marie could form a real connection with someone, but she immediately retreats back into irony and playfulness.

One of the most revealing moments in Daisies happens when Marie II expresses her tiredness with Marie I. After sharing a series of rebellious acts, the fun starts to turn into routine. Marie II seems to be looking for her own identity, but the film makes it clear that they are inseparable. 

After one of the most famous sequences in the movie, the destruction of the huge banquet, an unexpected moment arrives.

The two Maries try to put the plates, cutlery, and food back on the table. They talk about wanting to be 'good' and behave properly, as if tidying everything up could erase the chaos they themselves caused.

However, the attempt comes off as almost childish. Nothing really goes back to how it was before.

The scene works as an irony about the idea that just trying to act sorry is enough to fix the consequences of our actions. Everything seems neat again, but the damage is still there.

This irony becomes even stronger in the following sequence, when the two Maries fall into the water after the banquet. As they struggle to stay afloat, they cry for help and promise they no longer want to be "spoiled." The water suggests a possible purification or rebirth, but their sudden repentance remains ambiguous. Rather than offering redemption, the ending leaves us questioning whether change is truly possible after everything that has happened.

Daisies is still a film that challenges the viewer. It doesn’t offer easy answers or conventional characters.  

The relationship with the young lover provides a small breather amid that chaos. His calls, the way he looks at her, and the intimacy he shares with Marie II show that there is a possibility for a real emotional connection. However, Marie II never completely drops her mask of indifference. She can get physically close, even be completely vulnerable with him, but emotionally she always keeps a certain distance.  

Perhaps that’s one of Daisies’ biggest paradoxes: in a world where everything can be broken, destroyed, or turned into a game, the hardest thing isn’t to break the rules, but to allow yourself to truly connect with another person or even just empathize.

8/10

What do you think?