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Women Talking (Polley)
There is a certain patience curve that it takes to really divulge into this film. The context is minimal, and you're just thrown right in at the climax. At an early point, I was dreading going to the theater for this.. I love dialogue-based movies I thought. 12 Angry Men is one of my all-time favorites. I enjoyed Dinner with Andre even. Why can't I get into this?? Early, I felt like the two children asking: when will this end? Perhaps Women Talking Too Much would be a better title.
Then I looked over to my fiance & she was clearly impacted by what was being laid out. Did I really lack the empathy as a man, to get invested in the horrors going on in this tribal community??
In reality, I just needed more & the lead roles delivered. Eventually, these tropes of amish-like cult members started feeling extremely human and close. With a little more "in your face" exposure (the young Trans child & the panic attack) it becomes impossible to not feel. After all, it's an extremely brutal reality that so many people are born into. Would I end up differently than the men, if this was my upbringing? The film asks many serious questions and never tries to stand on a moral high ground. Perhaps some flaws between Ona & August would be in order, but on the outside group the imperfections, cult-influence, and pain are well demonstrated.
It's an important one to watch, especially given that the rapes are based off what happened in the Mantioba colony, Bolivia. The latter discussions are pure imagination, as is the reality in many of these settings. Ones that aren't so desolate or far from home.
A true image from inside of a school in a Mannonite colony in Bolivia
Then I looked over to my fiance & she was clearly impacted by what was being laid out. Did I really lack the empathy as a man, to get invested in the horrors going on in this tribal community??
In reality, I just needed more & the lead roles delivered. Eventually, these tropes of amish-like cult members started feeling extremely human and close. With a little more "in your face" exposure (the young Trans child & the panic attack) it becomes impossible to not feel. After all, it's an extremely brutal reality that so many people are born into. Would I end up differently than the men, if this was my upbringing? The film asks many serious questions and never tries to stand on a moral high ground. Perhaps some flaws between Ona & August would be in order, but on the outside group the imperfections, cult-influence, and pain are well demonstrated.
It's an important one to watch, especially given that the rapes are based off what happened in the Mantioba colony, Bolivia. The latter discussions are pure imagination, as is the reality in many of these settings. Ones that aren't so desolate or far from home.
A true image from inside of a school in a Mannonite colony in Bolivia