Film Review: Wanda

  "Wanda" 

  **** (out of ****)

Barbara Loden's "Wanda" (1971) is a sadly forgotten but fascinating portrait of  America, capturing a country at a crossroads by embodying the spirit of the counterculture movement; while also subtly suggesting elements of second-wave feminism.

"Wanda" addresses themes of alienation, class conflict and feminism in such a way that the themes weave together effortlessly. 

The film was Loden's first and only feature-length film, following in the tradition of poetic realism (stylized portrayals of working class life) and Italian neorealism (authentic representations of everyday life). While those movements may seem contradictory their emphasis was to depict real life, stripped of the superficiality of American Hollywood cinema. Some have even compared it to the documentary style movement known as cinema verite.

Released at the beginning of the 1970s, which saw the emergence of a new generation of filmmakers, "Wanda" could be seen as an extension of films like "Easy Rider" (1969), which was emblematic of  "New Hollywood". While both films express the disillusionment of the younger generation, "Wanda" is the more devastating film. Even though "Easy Rider" was an indie film, it was a slick, well produced product with "loud" and iconic moments - the Born to Be Wild sequence - "Wanda" by comparison isn't as flashy. It's quiet. And that quietness gives it more of a punch.  

In modern times however I believe many retroactively interpret the film solely as "feminist", minimalizing the class consciousness by doing so. They also narrow the scope of the alienation and define it as the result of a patriarchal society which undervalues women. This was the opinion of several critics, for example Molly Haskell, who wrote in her seminal book on feminist film theory, From Reverence to Rape, describing female characters in movies like "Wanda" as women "torn between the negative and positive of the feminist consciousness - rage at the old order, hope for the new - have arrived, anesthetized, at an emotional and cultural "stasis", a death."

These interpretations prioritize the fact that the film was directed by a woman and that within itself  was enough for them to claim it as feminist. In this analysis  "Wanda" belongs in a tradition of other female directors such as Chantal Akerman and Agnes Varda. It's not necessarily wrong but limiting and omits too much in order to confine it to a specific political or social agenda - i.e. feminism. I believe its reach is broader in its appeal. "Wanda" doesn't belong in one camp or another, it overlaps. It should be situated alongside the work of Akerman and "Easy Rider". For me "Wanda" isn't exclusively feminist, it is an indictment on the decline of the  American way of life.

The first image in "Wanda"  is of a construction site with a bulldozer shoveling dirt. Then we see a beat up old house. There's an unattended baby crying, while an elderly woman (presumably the child's grandmother) prays and stares out of a window. Seeing these images I thought to myself, this is a movie about people or one particular person "under construction". Someone in need of repair. To be rebuilt from their foundation.

That person is revealed to us as Wanda (Barbara Loden), a young attractive woman who goes through life in a comatose state. She accepts whatever is thrown at her without the slightest protest. Nothing seems to phase her. When she is late for a court hearing, where her husband (Jerome Thier) not only wants a divorce but custody of their children, Wanda hardly says a word. In fact she tells the judge he should grant the divorce and to give her husband the children. They will be better off with him she claims. When she's let go from her job at a sewing factory, she can barely find the strength to deny her boss' claim that she's too slow. 

Within these scenes Loden is making a commentary on two fronts - gender and economy. Wanda's identity is as much tied to her economic status as it is her gender. The landscape is of  Pennsylvania coal country and to put it nicely, it's not flattering. These people are in economic despair. You can feel it in every interaction and conversation Wanda has. This is a reflection of the United States at the time, which was going through a recession in 1970 and high unemployment by 1971. President Nixon even took the U.S. off of the gold standard and this was seen as a contributing factor to a rise in inflation. Retroactive viewers, in my estimation, don't highlight the economic conditions of the 1970s enough in their reviews. For example, "Wanda" is part of the Criterion Collection and comes with an essay written by the critic Amy Taubin - who is a fine critic and I don't mean to criticize - but all Taubin does in her essay is provide biographical information on Loden, production details and firmly situates the film as an example of feminist filmmaking. This kind of thinking not only flattens the discussion and limits the nuance of the relationship between gender and economics, it also diminishes and ignores the historical context of the film.

And if we look at the economy from a women's perspective there were additional hurdles. In the early 70s women faced a lot of discrimination. Before 1974 it was difficult for a single woman to open a bank account or get credit without a male co-signer. In some cases even a married woman might not be able to open an account without her husband's permission. So not only are economic times hard but as a woman you lack further individuality and financial independence. This is why historical context is needed. Art often responds to its political and social conditions. If you are retroactively reviewing a film or any piece of art, helping an audience understand the social conditions in which it was made, helps us see deeper into the work and what it was a reaction to. Art doesn't exist in a vacuum. 

But even for a 1970s audience, for whom all of of this social climate was a daily reality, it is easy to imagine them scratching their heads and sit in indifference while watching the opening moments of "Wanda". The majority of the actors are not professionals. Their dialogue isn't polished. The characters speak slowly. And most off-putting for a mainstream audience, is that it doesn't appear to have a strong narrative plot. Nothing seems to be pushing this movie forward. Perhaps understanding an audience demands some kind of narrative, Loden switches gears from the mood and flavor of the town to a crime story. Wanda, unknowingly, becomes involved with a burglar, Dennis (Michael Higgins). He was robbing a bar when Wanda walked in to use the restroom. Oblivious to her surroundings, Wanda leaves the bar with Dennis, spends the night with him, and drives out of state with him. Eventually she discovers who Dennis is and what he has done but makes the decision to stick with him.

When "Wanda" was initially released in 1971, the critic for the New York Times described the film as a "crime melodrama" and not a character study. "Wanda" defies genre expectations. This isn't a crime picture in the same sense "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) was a couple of years earlier. And even in that film's case, we can make the argument that it is more than a film about bank robbers. It is when Wanda meets Dennis that feminism becomes more prominent within the story. Wanda has no identity and latches on to the men in her life, allowing them to define her. Dennis is a textbook chauvinist. He slaps Wanda around and wants her to dress a certain way. In one scene Dennis confronts Wanda and informs her that she is not to wear slacks only dresses. Wanda adheres to these requirements and conforms. Why? Because in Wanda's mind, there is no path forward for her. She wouldn't know where to begin. Most people, upon hearing they are with a thief, would want to escape. Not Wanda. She's even given an opportunity to do so and in that crucial moment, declines the chance. What Wanda seeks is a man's validation. Which is clearly a concept society has ingrained in her. It makes for a "touching" moment later in the film between Dennis and Wanda when finally a kind word is spoken by him.

And despite the despicable behavior of Dennis, Loden and "Wanda" take the time to create a dual characterization. There is a contrast between how Dennis treats Wanda and how he treats his father. While a viewer's instinct may not grant any generosity towards the character, Dennis is also a victim of society. Why is he robbing bars and banks? Those aren't the actions of a person who believes he has a lot of options before him. A very generous and sympathetic reading of Dennis could assume the reason he wants Wanda by his side is for sincere companionship but he doesn't know how to express himself or allow himself to be emotionally vulnerable. If you accept that interpretation it then creates a contrast between Dennis and Wanda. She is nothing but vulnerable yet doesn't express her true feelings.

To be emotionally closed off and vulnerable is what gives "Wanda" its powerful ending. Just as there is a dichotomy presented in Dennis, Wanda exhibits her own duality in the film's final scene. We must question, is Wanda back to where she started? Is she mourning? Has she grown and finds that frightening? Just before the film's final image, Wanda finds herself with another man and for the first time, she resists his actions. She will not allow him to take advantage of her. Will she continue to drift? Is it any coincidence the name Wanda sounds close to wander? It is this ambiguity that I personally like. 

Prior to directing "Wanda", Loden was an actress, appearing on television with the great Ernie Kovacs. On the Kovacs show she was part of the famed Nairobi Trio - a trio of gorillas playing the tune Solfeggio - as the group's pianist. Additionally she appeared in feature films - "Wild River" (1960) and "Splendor in the Grass" (1961) - both directed by the man she would eventually marry, Elia Kazan. It has been well documented, in Kazan's own autobiography as an example, that there was an uncomfortable power dynamic at play between the two, with Kazan wanting to dominate Loden. It would explain a lot of what we see in "Wanda" and Loden's presentation of the character. 

In an interview with talk show host Dick Cavett, Loden appeared as a guest to promote "Wanda" and confessed she was very much like the lead character, a woman who was aimless in life and needed to be told what to do. It reminded me of an image in the film that perfectly symbolizes the character's dilemma - Wanda looking at her reflection in a broken mirror. Like the mirror itself, Wanda is shattered. 

Cavett, in the same interview, was almost trying to coax Loden into making a feminist statement about the difficulties of filmmaking and raising money. Loden wouldn't take the bait and said her difficulties were no different than what anyone else goes through to raise funds. But she did say something I find interesting that historically ties her into a certain film lineage. Loden said her small three person film crew approach to "Wanda" was like going back to the early days of cinema and just pointing a camera at people. The idea of that invokes the Lumiere Brothers and their actualities but it also speaks to a different lineage, which feminist would whole heartedly approve. Loden is like Alice Guy-Blache or Lois Weber, female filmmakers using the female experience to show the world what their lives are like and how they interpret the world. The best of their films also show us how their experience connects to the larger issues in society.

When "Wanda" was released it was at best a modest success in the United States. It gained greater acclaim overseas, even winning an award at the Venice Film Festival. It never found a real footing in the U.S. as part of the cultural temperament in film at the time. Maybe it was too low key. Too subtle in its commentary. Or simply not deemed significant enough by critics to bother analyzing it. New Yorker critic Pauline Kael called the film "drab". Judith Crist, maybe the most powerful critic at the time, wasn't too kind to the film either. It was only after many years that the film would begin to be spoken about with true admiration.

Whatever the reason was after "Wanda" Loden never directed a feature-length film again but did direct an educational short called "The Frontier Experience" (1975) which is included as a bonus feature on Criterion's DVD. Loden should have been a respected filmmaker and social critic. Cinema and art can only thrive when artists like Loden are given a voice and an opportunity. Could Kazan have shortened her career, as some have suggested over the years? Kazan even tried to take credit for "Wanda".

Unfortunately Loden, a North Carolina native, died at the age of 48 in 1980 after a two year battle with breast cancer. It is said Loden had several unproduced completed scripts and had plans to work on a play and direct a film adaptation of the novel "The Awakening". 

"Wanda" belongs on a short list among the best films of the 1970s. It captures the anxiety and alienation of a decade and serves as a time capsule representing a very important period in modern  American history. It is a remarkable film.