TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER (1976; d. Peter Sykes, w. Chris Wicking)

Begins w/ Father Michael Rayner’s ex-communication (thrown out of orthodox world into parallel: beginning of dream) for heretical belief in Absolute Power of Man (absconding w/ Heavenly Father’s pwr: oedipal ambition ritually replayed in ½world-unconscious via proxy-sex w/ other man’s wife [+ child]) à la Satan’s similar banishment, sundered marriage to Church à la hero John Verney’s real divorce (his interest in occult also beginning at that point: 2 sides of same coin); interconnection of disparate characters/chronology/events ™ Wicking parallelism (cf Scream + Scream Again + Demons o/t Mind): dreamlike imbuing of all w/ facets o/t Self, and animistic view of world as organic unity.

Camera’s fetishistic pan from feet to head of near-naked Christ anticipates similar climactic regard for 16-yr-old Nastassja Kinski (as soon-2B-18 Catherine)’s own filmy-sash-swathed nudity (slo-mo disrobing as tho prolonging revelatory moment [occurring at altar: film entering "sacred," non-linear time/space], disjoined from dialogue as tho tacked on to add payoff to deliberately-paced drama low on thrills, + slowed down to pad out) suggesting her as similar savior for senior-aged JV (who sez she resembles own kid: vision incestuous wish-fulfillment) in Sexual Revolution ’70s; regarded similarly by fellow Church of Our Lord (Rayner’s new church: over-30s’ fetishization of youth, film actually child of Curse o/t Demon + Wicker Man) members in whose convent she raised (daughter o/t mind: wholly fantastic creation, her long introductory silence broken at last by saying "Yes" to old divorcé realization of his prurient desire) specifically for that purpose (cf S+SA’s synthetic Mods created by similarly sr-aged scientific exile Vincent Price: ™ Wicking paranoia of controlling, manipulating Establishment, as when pious woman here leads group of cop-types in CoOL hymn).

JV asked by hyperventilating ex-CoOL-member + Catherine-dad Henry Beddows (another ex-communicated fr: all facets of same consciousness, id Rayner, ego JV + broken-down superego HB) at combination gallery opening + author reception (visual dir + verbal scrw sharing honors for film [their 2nd together]; party dream where psychic elements come out to meet + greet) to rendezvous w/ Cath at airport (transitional location) + abduct her from cultists (à la Rayner’s original absconding, JV’s "occult" – "hidden" – book material indicating him as psychoanalyst delving repressions + coded desires dished up by Rayner/unconscious, latter himself psychic material rejected by governing consc’ss) + install in own home (dream-consc’ss, photo in envelope by which to identify her telegraph from subconscious as to its object of desire).

Her orgasmic cries that night in his back room (as back of mind) while Rayner forces birth-death of demon child (attending doctor à la Scream’s, similarly giving unnatural birth to younger generation) from bound-knees disciple Margaret (conceived trans-substantially during sex btwn Rayner/Margaret + Cath/"demon" Astaroth [actually former goddess Astarte, masculinized by revisionist Christians] + Rayner/Meg) JV’s voyeuristic fantasy yielding similar unnatural child (projection/misconception), her next-day recounting of dream of own birth à la "Lord" Astaroth’s self-regeneration (Astarte sim symbol of nature + prototype for Virgin Mary), film taking place days before 18th birthday (age of majority/consent).

Pwr plays btwn JV and Rayner + various disciples (JV-agent David + partner Anna à la Catherine’s "Father" George + "Mother" Evelyne – latter two not-the-father + not-the-mother to girl whose own mom died in childbirth, film her invocation of symbolic figures of sexual/cosmic harmony on eve of maturation: Lib-era Wmn’s auto-generation of own pwr) result in acolyte’s death in each situation: eliminating extraneous psychic elements to reach core issue at sacred space in cemetery circle (while gibbering Henry/superego w/draws into similarly talismanic circle in attic/mind: both occurring in same psychic space) where ritual will result in Cath conceiving Devil/Astaroth via sex w/ "own" demon-child (incestuous unconscious closing circle in on self).

Climaxes w/ JV entering circle (yoni: symbolic sex) via possession of sacred rock spattered w/ disciple’s blood (confluence of earth, death + sexuality – elements of modern man’s complex crystallized in magic icon [actually, budget-strapped studio’s $-saving contrivance]), which also kills Rayner (knocked out of Catherine’s "sex," as mind: her fairy-tale delivery from family romance + all youth/wmn’s freeing from patriarchal Old Order), allowing JV to remove her from circle (birthing own regenerative feminine self) + ending turmoil (psychic winds whipping up around mtg of hero + symbols of spiritual mystery, as in earlier church scene where he delivers talismanic "pact" from altar), C smearing blood on forehead sexualization at hand of old guy: his fantasy realized.

Title a play on ’54 drama To Dorothy a Son?