Review of A Woman Under the Influence (1974) by Jason C — 11 Oct 2007

Possibly the crowning acchievement of Cassavetes directorial career, this is a powerful, thought provoking drama about a housebound woman's struggle against conformity. Here, Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk play two sides of the same coin, the Id vs the Ego, each of them battling for control over a rapidly disintergrating marital sphere.

The moral question here revolves around who is right; does Falk's rational, black and white standpoint take the highground? Or is it Rowland's, with her unique brand of boundary crossing and mildly disturbing expressionism? The answer, of course, is typically ambiguous; Cassavetes makes no judgement over these carefully crafted characters and, as always, the viewer is left to ponder the potential aftermath as the credits roll.