Directed by:
Barbara LodenScreenplay:
Barbara LodenCinematography:
Nicholas T. ProferesCast:
Barbara Loden, Michael Higgins, Dorothy Shupenes, Peter Shupenes, Jerome Thier, Marian Thier, Nicholas T. Proferes, Anthony Rotell, Valerie MamchesVOD (1)
Plots(1)
Barbara Loden’s first and last directorial feature was inspired by a news story she had read about a woman who thanked a judge for convicting her to jail time, if only because of the respite it offered from the drudgery of daily life. Her film depicts a Pennsylvania housewife (Loden) in coal mining country who drops her marriage and parental responsibilities to drift through a series of bars and motels until she pairs up with a criminal on the run. A glamorous, romanticized Bonnie-and-Clyde tale, this is not - Wanda is a lost and aimless soul. After years in the wilderness, with very few public screenings, her story is now widely recognized as an American classic, one that portrays a traditionally undervalued and overlooked section of society. (British Film Institute (BFI))
(more)Reviews (1)
This film definitely impresses with how realistically it is shot. It gradually gets under your skin because it is possible to identify with the heroine and the terrifying world she lives in. However, it's also possible to see the film as a certain pose and an attempt to show how difficult life is for the lower classes and what they resort to or are dragged into by their apathy. But I lean more towards the first option, which is grandiosely called cinéma vérité.
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