Review of A Woman Under the Influence (1974) by Amanda C — 15 Sep 2018

"A Woman Under the Influence" is a film that I certainly feel that I need to watch again. It's one that proves to be so difficult to catch each and every subtlety and moment as you move through the story.

I found myself liking it and hating it all at the same time. Part of why I liked it was because it proved to be a relatable story in the slow downfall of a woman stuck in the monotony of stay at home motherhood.

I also disliked it for the same reasons in that it was so difficult to watch her downfall. So many people faulted her so much for how she behaved rather than sought out to get her help and guidance and help her get better.

It made me feel extremely conflicted in that I empathized with Mabel, but I also empathized with Nick. I had a hard time rooting for them both at the same time. It seemed that they both wanted the same things; however, they were never able to be on the same wavelength with it.

From my perspective, the film was a success in that it told a human story that we had never seen before. It broke the mold for films of that type for that time. It served to bring something more out of us as an audience rather than to just make us laugh and cry.

Cassavetes made us uncomfortable. When Nick and Mabel had their climactic argument, instead of cutting away when the going got tough, Cassavetes stayed in the discomfort. It truly is a remarkable and difficult thing to be wanting and willing to tell a story like that and Cassavetes truly excelled.