'The Plumber' is an excellent movie.
There have been other films about outsiders encroaching on a household and attempting to take over - but none (as in 'The Plumber') where the other characters are so oblivious to what is actually happening: 'The Servant' 1963 - Dirk Bogarde - wherein a manservant takes over the house and 'Ring Once for Death' part of the 70's 'Thriller' Compendium - (created by Brian Clemens ) starring Nyree Dawn Porter - wherein her manservant tries to poison her and also take over . But 'The Plumber' eclipses both of these in its complexities and the various layers/elements to the film. There is the 'mystery' element: When Max enters the lift to go to Jill's apartment his hand hovers over several buttons in the lift before resting on the one which leads him to Jill's apartment and then calls her 'Jilly' without ever being introduced. There is also the mystery as to the plumber's intentions: "He's really very sweet" says friend Meg. "He's really very cunning " replies Jill. There is a disturbing sound of wind encircling the Uni. apartment block - whenever it is viewed - emitting an instantaneous sense of menace. No wonder that Peter Weir added the cheerful restaurant scene with the Italian music - as a foil to the 'evil' - towards the climax of the film.
There is the fact that the other characters in the film - no matter how close to 'Jilly' as the plumber calls her - don't seem to have an idea as to what is going on and how the plumber's presence/actions have affected Jill. In fact, Max - the plumber - seems to work at getting her husband / friend 'on side' by chatting to them or fixing their cars - perhaps to ingratiate himself because of what he sees as 'class' differences - very obvious when Jill - now exasperated - picks him up on misusing grammar.
There is the 'men vs women' aspect of the film - in addition to Max - the plumber's relationship with Jill - we have the man aggressively watching the women performing their yoga, and admonishing them that other people need to use the hall. Add to the plot the revolting story which Meg tells Jill about a woman entering someone's home to use the bathroom , and the lady finding that it is really a man in drag.
There is the subject matter about which Jill is writing her thesis - her experiences with the 'Bitu' man with whom Jill had interactions in New Guineu - and the intermittent sighting of the Bitu man during the movie via the artifacts and pictures in the flat.
A humorous sideline of the film - is the overseas visitors' dinner to sight her husband's nutritionist work - and how one of them - hilariously - gets trapped under the bathroom rubble. Brian (the husband) is doubtful about getting a post in Geneva - but after the dinner - is successful - which he irronically puts down to 'collapsing bathrooms and cognac.'
I believe that Jill gets rid of the plumber in the same way that she dispensed with the Bitu man - by use of cunning, and I believe that the ending - in which Jill is looking down at the plumber whilst he screams "You bitch- you set me up" - New Guinea drums ablazing- is near to perfect.
A wonderful little gem of a film which doesn't give you answers - but makes you think.
There have been other films about outsiders encroaching on a household and attempting to take over - but none (as in 'The Plumber') where the other characters are so oblivious to what is actually happening: 'The Servant' 1963 - Dirk Bogarde - wherein a manservant takes over the house and 'Ring Once for Death' part of the 70's 'Thriller' Compendium - (created by Brian Clemens ) starring Nyree Dawn Porter - wherein her manservant tries to poison her and also take over . But 'The Plumber' eclipses both of these in its complexities and the various layers/elements to the film. There is the 'mystery' element: When Max enters the lift to go to Jill's apartment his hand hovers over several buttons in the lift before resting on the one which leads him to Jill's apartment and then calls her 'Jilly' without ever being introduced. There is also the mystery as to the plumber's intentions: "He's really very sweet" says friend Meg. "He's really very cunning " replies Jill. There is a disturbing sound of wind encircling the Uni. apartment block - whenever it is viewed - emitting an instantaneous sense of menace. No wonder that Peter Weir added the cheerful restaurant scene with the Italian music - as a foil to the 'evil' - towards the climax of the film.
There is the fact that the other characters in the film - no matter how close to 'Jilly' as the plumber calls her - don't seem to have an idea as to what is going on and how the plumber's presence/actions have affected Jill. In fact, Max - the plumber - seems to work at getting her husband / friend 'on side' by chatting to them or fixing their cars - perhaps to ingratiate himself because of what he sees as 'class' differences - very obvious when Jill - now exasperated - picks him up on misusing grammar.
There is the 'men vs women' aspect of the film - in addition to Max - the plumber's relationship with Jill - we have the man aggressively watching the women performing their yoga, and admonishing them that other people need to use the hall. Add to the plot the revolting story which Meg tells Jill about a woman entering someone's home to use the bathroom , and the lady finding that it is really a man in drag.
There is the subject matter about which Jill is writing her thesis - her experiences with the 'Bitu' man with whom Jill had interactions in New Guineu - and the intermittent sighting of the Bitu man during the movie via the artifacts and pictures in the flat.
A humorous sideline of the film - is the overseas visitors' dinner to sight her husband's nutritionist work - and how one of them - hilariously - gets trapped under the bathroom rubble. Brian (the husband) is doubtful about getting a post in Geneva - but after the dinner - is successful - which he irronically puts down to 'collapsing bathrooms and cognac.'
I believe that Jill gets rid of the plumber in the same way that she dispensed with the Bitu man - by use of cunning, and I believe that the ending - in which Jill is looking down at the plumber whilst he screams "You bitch- you set me up" - New Guinea drums ablazing- is near to perfect.
A wonderful little gem of a film which doesn't give you answers - but makes you think.