Women Talking — Film Review & Commentary
Winner of the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar 2023
I was compelled to review and comment on a recent film, Women Talking, written and directed by Sarah Polley, based on Miriam Toews’s book of the same name. This film resonated with and inspired me to think and write about this film concerning the world we live in today. I will review, analyze and comment on this film. It’s a must-watch for everyone if you want to learn a thing or two about women. The media I put out there is focused on women’s and women’s success stories, what women have gone through, and what women have done to get to the point of major, monumental success, monumental achievements. So I love this topic. It’s a very relevant topic that I am passionate about.
Women Talking is a parabolic film that I have never experienced before. I loved it from beginning to end. With an ensemble cast, giving each actress and one actor a chance to shine explosively on screen, a well-rounded plot, intelligent — intentional dialogue, and skilful cinematography is outstanding. It is high quality, powerful enough, and meaningful enough for its win of the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar 2023. It will stand the test of time as a thinking piece, a sermon for the modern times — which I think is even more worthwhile than big blockbuster films.
There are moments of humour and warmth, loving family relationships and sisterhood, which make the audience sympathize with the characters but also feel a sense of hope and comfort rather than heavy darkness.
I also love the title. Simply Women Talking. One would typically think it is harmless, sort of shallow banter about beauty, babies, gossip and the home. “Oh, it’s just women talking,” But no, women talking, collectively, candidly, honestly is a revolutionary thing, a catalyst. All we need is a space to convene, and we can make change happen.
While most of the rapist men of the Mennonite colony are in jail in the nearby city while waiting for bail, some of them have travelled to support the rapists to bail them out. While the men are away for two days, a group of women, played by Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy and Rooney Mara, to name a few, come together in a hayloft to discuss their opinion on the matter of the continuous assault cases in their village. This is their brief window of time, where they must ultimately decide what to do about this matter. The group includes two older women and three younger teenage women.
All of the women (some as young as four) have faced the trauma of being subdued with cow tranquillizer, then brutally assaulted in their sleep, some getting pregnant and conceiving children, as a result, and living with the disillusionment that it is not ghosts or spirits hurting them as their faith led them to believed but men from the colony who creep at night, commit the unforgivable and flee. The women, therefore, have to decide overnight, before the men return, if they will do nothing, stay and fight, or leave. The movie is laced with some flashback scenes of the women waking up in their blood, in bed, in a state of shock and confusion after getting drugged and assaulted. A person’s psyche reacts to trauma differently, hence the attitude and opinion of each woman being different to one another during the discussion of what they should do; we also find out about the past suicide of one woman and one young woman taking on the gender of a boy — dressing like a boy, wanting to be called a boy name and not speaking as a reaction to being assaulted by her own brother. The conditions these women have been influenced by have shaped their mindset, but they all agree that what the men are doing is wrong. It is difficult to decide, for a system of violence against them has been so brainwashed into their outlook on life that they must confront their past and mindset to free themselves. The women ultimately do and gather the rest of the female villagers with their children (males under 12 included) to flee, except for the educated and open-minded August (Wishaw), who is an ally and male sympathizer to the women who helps them and Scarface Janz (McDormand) who is so deep in her belief system that she stays behind too, for she is so devout to the belief that the kingdom of heaven awaits her that she remains. Yet, without a doubt, we assume that the prominent scar on her face indicates physical abuse from a man’s hands.
The devoutly religious community has accepted this chain of regular crimes against women. The women are subservient to men; they are also not taught to read or write, making leaving their community impossible as they do not know the outside world, considering that the story is set in modern- day America. Seemingly stuck in time, as though we look back on history, despite being set in 2010, the experiences and thoughts of these women, despite the specific culture they are from, apply to all women from all walks of life. The notion of sexual assault, patriarchy, abuse, and trauma is all infused in all cultures today, which makes us question: how far have we progressed as a species to make our existence safer for all? The violence and degradation of women for being born female has been a committed mentality since the beginning of time. The movie is beautifully written, and every line is so quotable. Still, the biggest takeaway lesson — bottom line stands: walk away, pick yourself up and leave — walking away is the ultimate confrontation with your enemy/abuser.
Sometimes, depending on the situation, we must confront it head-on, but ultimately, we must leave and run for our lives. Just as the ending scene shows — the decision and journey will not be easy, but it will be the best thing to ever happen.
There are three topics that I will dissect further that I have learned from this film that will help us understand the complexity and power of this subject matter.
1. Forgiveness and acceptance are not the solutions to personal freedom
Scarface Janz “It is part of our faith to forgive. We have always forgiven those who have wronged us. Why not now?” Salome “Because now we know better.”
Ona “Is forgiveness that’s forced upon us true forgiveness?”
There is no single response to abuse, and the burden of the question of “Why?” or “Why did this happen to me?” must never lay in the hands of the victim, for it is not their fault. We must not give a chance to abusers and predators to get away with bad behaviour towards us. And when it happens, we must forgive and accept the consequences? We must forgive and forget? Stay idle and guilty? This mentality is not a solution to personal freedom. We must speak with other women, our family and close people about the abuse. By forgiving and accepting, we essentially allow the abuser to get away with their crime — giving them even more power and taking away ours. Ladies, be vocal, stand up for yourself, and get yourself out of the situation. When somebody hurts you, forgiving them is not a solution. Forgive yourself and accept what has happened, but don’t give the power to the person to know that what they have done is something they can be forgiven for and accepted. They don’t deserve your compassion. Power is a scary thing and a dangerous thing. Those that have it have more opportunities to abuse it and get away with it. Misogynists think they are entitled to our bodies, time and innocence in life. I talk about this in my previous video on Tar, Cate Banchett where the gender is flipped, and a woman of power abuses others. It can go both ways.
2. Action > Idleness.
The climax of the film is really the end of the film. The action scene we have all been waiting for and hoping for, the women pack up and leave for a new place of residence; without the grown men. I loved this ending. Action is better than idleness. The women endured for decades; it came to a head; they discussed and finally did a life-changing act, a better future for their children.
Autje “Your story will be different than ours.”
When you are unhappy, uncomfortable and unsafe, you can leave, don’t wait around hoping and praying for something to change. It is scary, but decide and take action in the unknown, for it will bring something new to your life and for the better. Action is a seemingly and typically masculine word that associates with men, whereas idleness associates more with femininity. Idleness leads to nothing, literally nothing. No change, no positivity and prosperity in life. To protect themselves, the women could no longer stay idle; they had to act and act fast before the men came back. Action is the only way to escape hardship. We can talk and dwell for hours, but the action changes the course of our life.
3. Women on Women Support
Ona “We’re women without a voice. We have nothing to return to. Even the animals are safer in their homes than we women are. All we have are our dreams. So, of course, we are dreamers.”
The third and final lesson we can take away from this film, though there are plenty more, are Women helping one another is a support system that makes the female experience less scary. Throughout the film, the women pray, sing, comfort one another and their children and provide moral support to one another whether one has a panic attack or a meltdown. Different female archetypes are represented in this film, like Salome being a warrior, Mariche being a pacifist and Ona a philosopher. My favourite personally is Salome, played by Claire Foy. These women come together and help one another to save one another to raise their children and teach their children to know and act better for the future to be better and less brutal than it was for them. They look towards the future and see that it is vital for them to stick to one another. Often women are vilified by their own kind. From panels, interviews, and discussions on social media, women today can find community with women from all walks of life to open up about their stories, their problems and their experience to make a change. The mere knowledge that women speak candidly about something they experienced too can make a huge difference.
Commentary in Today’s Modern Western Society
Women Talking opens a huge discussion beyond my ability to explore in this video about today’s culture of systemic abuse; physical, emotional and sexual. The traumatic scenes and lines from this allegory linger long after watching it.
According to RAINN, 9 out of every ten victims of sexual assault are female in the US. Furthermore, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the states has been sexually assaulted in their lifetime, according to NCADV. In the UK, Only 1 in 100 sexual assaults are recorded by police in 2021 resulted in a charge that same year. The shocking truth is that what happened to these women in the film happens in real life.
On the matter of diversity and why only white women were cast in the film has been answered by Frances McDormand, also a producer of the film, in an interview, she said, “It’s about an isolated hermetic white community for a reason, that’s what happens in isolated communities, this kind of feeding off itself. It’s a beast that’s feeding off itself. And the minute we truly do become diverse, then perhaps the beast won’t be eating off itself.”
I enjoy talking about the core the meaning themes of the movies; that’s what makes a movie meaningful. That’s what makes the film powerful. That is what makes a movie art. Anyone can make a movie with beautiful cinematography, gorgeous set design, and lighting. Still, it’s the films that touch people’s hearts, the movie that makes people think it’s the things that make people react and quite often relate to their life and themselves. The more we watch, talk and promote films like these, the more they get produced and revered. This movie was made by women, about women for women. With illuminating female performances, exemplary music by Hildur Gunadóttir and masterful direction by the tremendously multitalented Sarah Polley — I recommend Women Talking — 5 out of 5 stars for this quiet yet eloquent drama.
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