Apart from the usual labyrinthine (and often perverted) relationships and emotional turmoil, the visual parallels in this one is simply stunning (and speak for themselves):
The two Renaissance paintings on Dr. Robert Ledgard's wall:
are actually:
Vera, the "reclining nude" on webcam, the "perfect female form" that's subjective to the "male gaze" (except this person is everything BUT that):
Here is another painting in the background that's, I think, specifically painted for the movie:
The legend says: "A chance meeting on the island of Naxos brought this pair together after the hero, Theseus, left Ariadne stranded" - quite reminiscent of where Vera initially came from. Among the unnaturally blue background (with the almost surrealist sky/sea /coral), there is another "reclining nude" with faceless head and freakishly smooth/modelled body that radiates sinister, fabricated innocence.
Oh and, finally: Antonio Banderas looked SO MUCH like James Stewart in this. I was experiencing noir-ness overload the entire time on top of all the existing twistedness. The Dr. and his mother/servant died with knowing both too little and too many secrets, but Vincent (and the audience) gets to know them all.
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