Inspired by the Greek myth, Leda is the 2021 movie from producer/director/cinematographer/writer Samule Tressler IV (Syzygy, Headboy TM and Social Animal Social Soul). The film is his first feature-length directorial work, he has previously worked as an actor and most significantly as a cinematographer on the highly-rated 2022 crime thriller Boundary, directed by Anthony Faust. The film stars Adeline Thery (Are We Not Cats, Come to the Show and Suicide or Lulu and Me in a World Made for Two) in the title role, with CC King (Delivering Christmas, Marriage Story and Neon) portraying the younger version of Leda and Douglas Cathro (V/H/S/2, A Host of Sparrows and Heads of Tails) as her father.

Newly married, Leda (Thery) is haunted by strange visions of an egg in a forest and a swan. In flashbacks we see what has happened during her life up to this point, firstly her mother (also played by Thery) dies while Leda is but a young girl, then her father is killed during a fox hunt when she is a young woman. Her cousin comes to stay, before Leda eventually gets married. These events are probably enough to be the base cause of her strange visions, but this is complicated by the fact she is heavily pregnant, which appears to be tied to the visions in some way. Obviously, those who have knowledge of the Greek legend associated with this movie, will understand the importance of both the swan and the egg and how they relate to the movie’s story of birth, life and death and particularly Leda’s pregnancy. This all builds to a crescendo at the film’s finale when colour is introduced for the first time in the movie as the film’s shocking ending is revealed.

Leda is a beautiful, silent, black-and-white masterpiece with its roots in the classic literature of Ambrose Bierce, the surrealistic cinema of David Lynch, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Fernando Arrabal and  Maya Deren. I’m also reminded at times of the atmosphere created by Peter Weir in his 1975 masterpiece, Picnic at Hanging Rock. Music and sound are key in creating the film’s atmosphere, a feat that remains even more impressive when you consider that this is a silent movie we’re talking about. The sound of silence has never been more embedded in the fabric of a movie since David Lynch released Eraserhead in the late 1970s. The sensation of greater awareness of sound is constantly at the forefront and one cannot help but wonder if this exaggerated sense of awareness is at all how blind people might hear? Every sound is exaggerated, the dripping of a tap, the sound of footsteps on wooden floorboards, even the rustling of fabric is very noticeable. 

Image-wise, the film is a smorgasbord of symbolism, especially during the vision sequences. Tressler is a master of cinematography, every scene is beautifully framed, and his painterly eye ensures that every scene is crammed with interesting details and textures. The whole thing really does look more like a series of paintings than a movie scene. He really has taken the old adage of every picture tells a story and run with it, so impressive is every single visual image. On top of this, Thery is excellent as both Leda and her mother, while CC King offers up a remarkably nuanced performance for one so young. The small cast in general are excellent and at no point do you feel as though you’re watching a movie that could be described as low-budget. 

Overall, Leda is a beautiful, dark, shocking tale of birth, life and death that will live long in the eyes and ears of the viewer, for its striking imagery, captivating score and its mesmerising fever dream qualities that put one in mind of Argento at his best. Leda is one of the finest movies of recent years and will become a cult classic, of which I am absolutely certain. 

This new Blu-ray from GFY features two versions of the movie in both 2D and 3D. I watched in 2D but can only imagine how much the 3D effects will add to the movie’s immersive qualities. The disc also features deleted scenes, a short film “Two Years” directed by Tressler, as well as audio commentaries featuring Tressler and Thery as well as other members of the cast and crew. This is a reasonably well-packaged release, however, the important thing here is a modern classic that I am certain will be the beginning of a very exciting career not only for its director, but also for its star, who I believe is destined for stardom. Leda is a joy to behold, a beautiful, literate masterpiece that stands out on its own in a world where cinema has become so frustratingly repetitive.