If you have seen Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures and are ensnared by one of New Zealand’s most disturbing murders, then Anne Perry – Interiors is a documentary worth watching.
In 1954 Juliet Hulme (now Anne Perry) and her friend Pauline Parker “did something stupid” in murdering Pauline’s mother. Since then, Perry has found reclose in rural Scotland, changing her name to live a new life. Yet she has not been able to change her past.
Jackson’s film made her name public after the film was released in 1994. However, the name ‘Anne Perry’ was already well known as the author of many successful crime novels.
Director Dana Linkiewicz has successfully managed to permeate Perry’s world and provide an answer to the intrigue that surrounds Perry’s life. The film initially presents Perry’s public authorial image, but gradually gets closer and closer into her interior world as the details about her chilling past are shared. Perry obviously has a lot of control over the representation of her image within the film. This suggests that she wants to show the world that she is more than a just a ‘murderer’.
Change is a significant premise of the film. Perry informs the participants in her writing workshop that characters must change for a narrative to be successful. Like these characters, Perry too has changed.
Set in the bleak, Scottish countryside, the visual harshness of the landscape is used to break up the layers of Perry’s life. Interiors is made up of a series of observational shots, which allows the viewer to indulge in the chilling fascination of this woman.
The film culminates when Perry breaks down and speaks frankly about the murder. Through tears she testifies that she can’t change what has happened, and must live with it. She also explains her friendship with Pauline, and gives some insight into the crime.
This film would be more of interest to someone who has seen Heavenly Creatures, or for someone who has read Perry’s books. Some may find it a bit slow-moving otherwise. The grizzly background information of the crime is needed to push the narrative along.
This representation of Anne Perry is a far cry from Jackson’s gory drama. This portrayal is far more personal and gentler. It paints a forgiving image of a woman who is haunted by her past, but has found redemption through change.
ANNE PERRY—INTERIORS
Directed by: Dana Linkiewicz