While Ulrike Ottinger's Madame X is a playful and lively film, it is not easy to sit through without questioning every decision made by Ottinger. From the excessive costume design and makeup to bizarre scenes of a fish getting devoured, the film falls nothing short of camp. Although I did not necessarily enjoy viewing the film due to its lack of eventfulness, I do commend Ottinger for creating a work that successfully fails to be serious. As mentioned by Susan Sontag in "Notes on Camp," camp is a form of refusal to take life or something serious. Madame X resists all type of analysis making it extremely difficult to interpret (Sontag 1964). While I do believe that this is what makes the film so strenuous to watch, it also can account for why it is so thought-provoking. In a world where we tend to analyze every aspect and detail of life and what we consume, Ottinger makes fun of the viewer and their overall cinematic experience (Sontag 1964). I will admit that I was not fond of Madame X while I was staring at the screen. I gained a lot more insight and appreciation for the film after having read Sontag's work on camp. Ultimately, I would recommend for anyone who watches Madame X to pair it with the reading from Sontag since it helps explain the frustration most viewers feel towards the film. Alas, I advise anyone who cannot wrap their head around the 'point' of Madame X to ponder more on why we have the desire for everything to have meaning and less on Ottinger's technical and artistic decisions. As stated by Susan Sontag: "The whole point of Camp is to dethrone the serious."
Review of Madame X: An Absolute Ruler
