“Women Talking” (2022) — an Accurate, Heartbreaking and Wise Movie for Reflection

The story is based on real, horrific events — in a religious colony of Mennonites, women had been raped in their sleep for many years, but for lack of evidence, the men claimed it was evil spirits.

The continuation of the story is fictionalized — 12 women come together to decide the fate of the women’s community. Throughout the chamber drama, they decide whether to leave or stay and fight. Everyone has a different opinion, which leads to misunderstandings and arguments.

It is a conflict within a closed community about fighting those who are actually and historically stronger, but their dialogue is also open to the real world. The female cast becomes a cohesive ensemble. Ben Whishaw is the icing on the cake, so poignant is his role, especially at the end.

The film plays with the viewer on a unique level: words dominate all methods of storytelling, and music means more than visuals. The writers play with color and give it a lot of importance — sometimes faded colors dominate, at other moments new colors are the key.

I wouldn’t call the movie exclusively “feminist” because it can offer another deep and smart thoughts. Not all men are bad and not all women can empathize. The characters always discuss lively topics — about mutual help, guilt, revenge, punishment or forgiveness, struggle or escape….

The movie speaks the truths, albeit slowly, theatrically, and sometimes boringly. A lot of things aren’t close to me, but that’s what movies are for — to see what seems strange and unfamiliar. It’s a way to develop yourself and your personality.

My score is 7 out of 10.

“Why does love, the lack of love, the end of love, the need for love spill over into violence?”

“And in that void-filling silence lurked true horror.”

“We need to find out what we’re fighting for, not just what we’re fighting against.”

“Sometimes I think people laugh as much as they’d like to cry.”

“Until I learned to focus my eyes on the road in the distance instead of directly in front of me, I felt safe.”

“Competition and argument teach little. Love and compassion teach everything.”