#AWomanUnderTheInfluence

[ferretfyre]

Yes. Good. @criterioncollection #criterion #criterioncollection #johncassavetes #genarowlands #film #shadows #faces #awomanundertheinfluence #thekillingofachinesebookie #openingnight (at Americana Village) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1HGmydBzXp/?igshid=1fdj72mee6lxu

[filmartgallery]

U.S. 1 Sheet for #AWomanUnderTheInfluence (1974) directed by #JohnCassavetes and starring #GenaRowlands. #Cassavetes #WomanUnderTheInfluence https://www.instagram.com/p/Buh4yE7FZ4f/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=m1u2zrtlq321

[doomonfilm]

Ranking : The Independent Work of John Cassavetes (1929 - 1989)

As a star of stage, television and film, John Cassavetes became a household name, but it was the way he used these opportunities as a gateway to becoming the vanguard of independent cinema that made him an iconic legend.  Like many before him, Cassavetes took the money made from his numerous acting roles and invested it, but unlike many others, the investment he made was in himself, and he somehow found a way to do so without interfering with his continuing acting career or burgeoning career as a studio director.  His foray into Hollywood on both sides of the camera left a memorable impression, and together with his wife and equally talented peer Gena Rowlands, he helped shaped the structure of modern cinema.

While Cassavetes does have a dozen directing credits under his belt, The Criterion Collection helped audiences understand the importance of his legacy by creating John Cassavetes : Five Films, a box set focusing on the five works he personally financed and made outside the studio system.  The films showcase his ability to work with and pull deeply moving performances out of his actors, his ability to capture the human essence in a realistic manner, his views on interpersonal connections, his ability to work outside the constraints of a limited budget, and most importantly, his uncanny ability to tell unique and enriching stories.  Ranking these five films is like ranking your favorite five NBA All-Stars in the sense that all of them are winners, and could all be held in the highest regard in their own right.

5. Opening Night (1977) I really do hate having to put any of these films at the bottom of a ranking list, but placing Opening Night at the anchor position is especially tough due to the special place it holds as the sole independent Cassavetes film where he and Gena Rowlands get to act opposite one another.  Some of the ways that Cassavetes is able to visualize what Rowlands monologues on are artistically striking and unique from his normal stylistic methods, and the insular story is very revealing in terms of its insight into the theater world.  Ultimately, this film sits at the bottom of the list because of its “limited�� world view, despite the fact that this one world we are shown is very layered, nuanced and full of conflict.

4. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) On the surface, this film looks and feels like the most “Hollywood” of the independent Cassavetes creations, with a story involving gangsters, strip clubs, hitmen and rocky financial situations.  Despite a story that borders on the realms of being a trope, however, the characters presented are wonderfully flawed, including Meade Roberts as the show stealing Mr. Sophistication (perhaps my favorite character in any of the five films).  Where this film really succeeds, however, is in the story’s subtext... Cosmo stands as a surrogate for Cassavetes himself, the club represents his film career, and the gangsters represent the outside influences that try to change art that they care nothing about.  Ultimately, the titular killing (by transitory application) serves as a metaphor for the lengths that Cassavetes is willing to go to in order to protect what he cherishes, and for that, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie stands as the most deceptive piece of art out of the five films.

3. Shadows (1959) Four of the five Criterion Collection films in this grouping heavily rely on improvisation, but to my knowledge, Shadows was the only film that was created out of the workshopping surrounding improvisational exercises.  What started as classroom explorations at the Variety Arts Theatre in Manhattan quickly morphed into a story of racial identity deep in the heart of the “city that never sleeps”, and considering this film predated Brown vs. Board and the major events of the Civil Rights Era, it stands shoulder to shoulder with a small handful of films like Imitation of Life that take an honest look at the Black experience, particularly that of the White-passing members of the community.  Despite the fact that many members of the cast where either actors with minimal credits or personal friends of Cassavetes, the energy jumps off the screen from the performances, marking the film as an early indication of where that new generation of directors were heading.

2. A Woman Under the Influence (1974) A Woman Under the Influence is almost certainly the publicly-perceived powerhouse of the bunch.  Gena Rowlands gives a tour-de-force of a performance, which is complimented by Peter Falk’s drastic swings between caring husband and self-conscious crew leader.  Based on the sequence of events that takes place in the film, it would be easy for one to condemn Mabel Longhetti as a character, but Rowlands brings the vulnerability of a raw nerve to the table, and in turn, your sympathy and worry for her far outweighs the disgust that arises from her actions.  At the risk of speculation, perhaps placing the lion’s share of the film in the actual home of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands (not to mention casting family members in supporting roles) amplified the honesty and intensity of performances all around, making this film one of the most taxing but rewarding watches of the five.

1. Faces (1968) For my money’s worth, Faces is the hands down crowning achievement of this bunch.  Maybe it’s because I feel as if I’m doomed to a permanent bachelorhood, but watching the two main groups in the film (the John Marley trio and the Lynn Carlin contingent) attempt to navigate volatile personal vulnerability while shielding themselves from... themselves, it seems... is as thought-provoking as it is emotional draining.  The arguments between Marley’s Richard Frost and Carlin’s Maria Frost perfectly set up the infidelities and mistrusts that parade across the screen, and just when things feel like they’re reaching a peak, Seymour Cassel enters the film like a bolt of lightning.  Unlike most films of the time, we are not left with a neat cleanup of the events presented, and the awkwardness stays in the air long after the final credit has rolled.  Watching these films in release order is not a bad idea, but if I had my druthers, I’d recommend Faces as the best starting point ten times out of ten.

[freegreatmovies]

Happy 90th birthday to Gena Rowlands! Cutting film with John Cassavetes. #genarowlands #johncassavetes #90thbirthday #awomanundertheinfluence #husbands #faces #openingnight #minnieandmoskowitz #gloria #lovestreams #cuttingfilm #filmediting #16mmfilm https://www.instagram.com/p/CBnE4KnFwML/?igshid=u3gsq3qx0lsc

[terrain-vague]

Monday mood. #awomanundertheinfluence #genarowlands #cassavetes #illustration #carolineandrieu https://www.instagram.com/p/B-onEYpgzTZ/?igshid=19newz63at9ud

[mattiedaisy]

We’ve lost one of the Greats. Here are a few of my Favorites with Peter Falk: A WOMEN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, HUSBANDS, WINGS OF DESIRE, MURDER BY DEATH & MIKEY & NICKY. Treat yourself to these films and of course his TV Series, COLUMBO. R.I.P. 🌼 @montesmethod #montesmethod #peterfalk #awomanundertheinfluence #husbands #wingsofdesire #murderbydeath #mikey&nicky https://www.instagram.com/p/BzSFYejJ49c/?igshid=sp2tuqaoptpg

[roadmovies]

Celebrating my favourites birthday by watching her performance that inspires me daily. “I loved Mabel so much that I wanted to do right by her. That’s why, above all, I pleaded with John: Please, let’s not romanticize her martyrdom.” – Gena Rowlands

[salmadahab]

A woman under the influence – 1974

John Cassavetes

#Moviestowatchbeforedeath

[grifter-art]

#awomanundertheinfluence #johncassavetes #cassavetes #genarowlands #indepentcinema #indiefilms #directors #actors #cinema #film #movies #cinemalovers #filmlovers #movielovers #filmmaking #filmcommunity #filmmaker #filmphotography #cinematography #cinematic #70scinema #auteur

[josephfrady]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @quotes_in_movies

#awomanundertheinfluence #1974 #johncassavetes #peterfalk #genarowlands #drama #quote #movie DP #mitchbreit #alruban (à Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrLedKXITJC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1div33kowqcg5

[philippenickels]

A woman under the influence #52 #onepostitaday #postit #365 #365days #365project #drawing #belgium #Antwerp #dessin #illustration #petitformat #unpostitparjour #undessinparjour #postitlicious #onedrawingaday #pencil #drawing #chinaink #ink #typex #cassavetes #genarowlands #1974 #awomanundertheinfluence

[filmartgallery]

Two great posters for A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (1974), streaming now on the Criterion Channel as part of their tribute to Gena Rowlands. #awomanundertheinfluence #genarowlands #peterfalk #johncassavetes #cassavetes https://www.instagram.com/p/COWlNM1JPvf/?igshid=1b4kjoflu5vzm

[doomonfilm]

Thoughts : A Woman Under The Influence (1974)

Stanley Kubrick might be my favorite director, but John Cassavetes has far and away had the most influence on me.  He laid down the gameplan that I have been following since I became hip to him : use your talents to earn the revenue that will fuel your passion.  Most know Cassavetes as an actor (television and film) and an influential member of the New York creative scene from the 1950s until his passing in 1989.  Those who are really hip know about his collection of passion projects, with the most famous of these 5 films probably being A Woman Under the Influence.

Mabel (Gena Rowlands) and Nick (Peter Falk) are a Los Angeles couple trying to resolve their trouble in paradise.  Mabel is a housewife and mother of three whose strange mannerisms and unpredictable tendencies continually get her into situations and worry her loved ones.  Nick is a construction worker who wants to live a normal life, but work pressures and his concerns about the well-being of his wife (or her ability to raise and protect their children) keep him under constant stress.  After a series of particularly ‘peculiar’ behaviors, Nick decides to have Mabel committed to an institution in order to protect her from herself.  This action not only creates divides within the family, it forces Nick to take a long and hard look at his ability to love and be loved.

If you don’t completely feel drained after watching this film, you may lack empathy.  The amount of dedication that Rowlands and Falk put into their performances is massive, and every bit of that blind faith and unconditional commitment to the performances is amplified in the final product.  Large portions of this film were shot in Cassavetes and Rowlands’ home, and both of their mothers play mothers in the film (Lady Rowlands getting the pleasure of playing mother to real life daughter Gena).  This blurring of the lines between story and reality helps make the actors much more comfortable and natural, seeing as many of the people in this film are friends and acquaintances that spend time in the home already.   There is no room for falseness, indication in the acting, or ‘cutting corners’... everything about this film hits you right in the feels.

The slight ambiguity of the story makes it equally as intriguing as it is uncomfortable.  It is never and truly really made clear why Mabel does what she does, or what the motivating factors are.  The only facts we know is that she is a passionate person who will willingly go wherever those passions lead her, regardless of who is affected by those actions.  Her kids are extremely loving, but a bit overly sensitive and not quite fully adjusted to the ‘normal’ world.  Nick is literally being torn into two pieces by his emotions right in front of our eyes... you can hear how much he loves Mabel, even when he shows it in his frustrated yelling; but you can also see how hard it is for him to stand up to his boss with an authoritative voice while being unable to let his coworkers hear him mention his wife.  Throw in a doctor with his own self interests, and family members who seemingly have been DYING to share their opinion on the matter, and you are taken into a vortex of misplaced love and anger quicker than you can prepare yourself.

Gena Rowlands gives a command performance as Mabel, towing a line between pure unhinged method acting in the moment and extremely calculated choices meant to emulate a female lion ready and willing to protect her cubs.  Peter Falk gives one of the most emotionally conflicting everyman performances I can recall.  The construction worker crew is made up of many famous character actors and Casavettes regulars, and the family in the film is also comprised of Casavettes regulars and actual members of the Casavettes, Rowlands and Cassel families.

John Cassavetes found a direct line to emotional realism with his 5 independent releases, and A Woman Under the Influence serves as a wonderful midpoint of that collection.  It is the first color film of the group, the first to usher in a post-1960s feel, and possibly the most directly personal of the group outside of the enigmatic The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (which I will definitely come back to soon).

[deeeeeeeniiis]

A Woman Under the Influence

[ooobarracuda89]

Final Criterion Collection flash sale overindulgences. #InALonelyPlace #TheUninvited #45Years #TheLastMetro #DayForNight #DavidLynchTheArtLife #TwinPeaksFireWalkWithMe #Dekalog #Shadows #Faces #AWomanUnderTheInfluence #TheKillingofaChineseBookie #OpeningNight #FrançoisTruffaut #DavidLynch #KrzysztofKieslowski #JohnCassavetes #HumphreyBogart #Film #Cinema #CriterionCollection

[filmandvinyl]

🌹✨Happy 87th birthday to legendary actress Gena Rowlands. Image: from "A Woman Under The Influence".Directed by John Cassavetes #genarowlands #awomanundertheinfluence #movies