Christine, written by Craig Shilowich, directed by Antonio Campos, and starring Rebecca Hall is, simply put – unsettling. The power of the film comes from the story and the mythos of news reporter Christine Chubbuck. A quick google search of the woman would show you who she is, but as Shilowich has said, in just 5 short sentences. Chubbuck worked for a small news station in Sarasota, Florida and quickly rose to infamy—reasons for which, I will not mention. If you know of Chubbuck, the movie offers an explanation. If you do not, I would suggest going in blind. Either way, Christine will be a film you won’t stop thinking about.
Rebecca Hall treats the material with care and responsibility. Christine is a 29-year-old woman: intelligent, passionate, and determined. On the verge of a larger market, she desperately wants to break through and find success. Hall excels at grounding Chubbuck. What could have been a sensational character is a woman no different from you and me. While the film lulls at points, Hall’s performance holds it together as every small moment, every interaction comes crashing forth.
Christine is a gloomy character study, a slow burn, building and building dread until its final moments. While quiet and subdued, it leaves a lasting impact. For years, Chubbuck’s story existed on internet listicles, just a few sentences not at all attempting to tell her story. The beats of the story—Christine’s interactions, her struggles, her work—are rather ordinary, and may lose you in the second act. However, there is something very beautiful about Christine. It pays specific attention to character, to the affect we have on others, to how our perceptions of others are not always true. It is a wonderful example of character and the power of story in modern filmmaking. That being said, it is probably a movie you can only see once, because Christine Chubbuck will be burned into your memory for a long time.
