MagdalenaandMariaaretwotwinsisterswhowereseparatedatbirthandknownothingoftheother’sexistence.MariarunsawayfromtheboardingschoolinwhichshewasbroughtupandfindsworkasacabaretperformerinthecafésofMarseilles.Magdalenaliveswithheradoptedparentsandworksinanartgallery.Thetwosistersarejoinedbyaninvisiblebondwhichdrawsthemtowardsthesametragicconclusion.
DirectorWernerSchroeterhasacquiredareputationasanexperimentalistfilmmaker,hailedbysomeasanunderratedgenius,reviledbyothersforbeingapeddlerofself-indulgentkitsch.DeuxisarguablySchroeter’smostambitious,unsettlingandrepulsiveworktodate.Thedirectorcertainlywastesnotimeinalienatinghisaudiencefromthefirsttenminutesofthefilmitisclearthisisnotgoingtobeaneasyride.Thenarrativecutshaphazardlybetweenseeminglyunconnectedevents,alternatingbetweenrealismandstylisedfantasydreamsequences,periodicallyshockingthespectatorwithgraphicimagesoflesbiansexandawomanbeingslowlydisembowelled.Havingseveralactorsplayingmultiplepartsonlyaddstothesenseofartificeandutterconfusion,whichisapityasthereismanifestlyalotofgreatactingtalentonshow–notleastofwhichisIsabelleHuppert.Thefilm’ssheerrelentlessgrotesquenessandself-indulgenceissoextreme,sounbridled,sostomach-churninglyprovocative,thatitishardtotakeanyofitseriously.