The Woman

2011
Dir. Lucky McKee

Social satire or horror movie? Misogynistic or an attack on misogyny? Feminist tract or manipulative, objectifying glorification of violence? These are the kinds of questions that The Woman has raised with audiences and critics. Whether the film is viewed as a powerful portrait of misogyny, a thoughtful 'torture-porn' flick or simply a brutal and nasty gore-fest - The Woman proves to be an uncompromising and memorable ordeal. More a film to be endured than enjoyed, it has left audiences divided, devastated and immersed in deep debate. Frenzied viewers were left shocked, dazed, horrified, angry and outraged in its wake as it blazed through festival screenings and cinemas. Interestingly, apathy wasn’t something experienced by most viewers – The Woman demands that you have a strong opinion one way or the other. Of course, the danger with having such a fearsome and provocative reputation so adamantly preceding it is that it will fail to live up to the hype.

Does it? Well, yes. It does. It is shocking, gripping and well directed. The points it makes about gender based violence, familial dysfunction, spousal abuse and contemporary morality are all hammered home with unwavering intensity. There is very little nuance - everything is loud, black and white, and incredibly visceral.

Based on a screenplay by Lucky McKee and horror writer Jack Ketchum, The Woman works both as a stand-alone film and a sequel to the pair’s previous backwoods shocker The Offspring. It follows lawyer Chris Cleek’s (Sean Bridgers) abuse of a feral woman (Pollyanna McIntosh) he encounters in the forest and subsequently abducts and chains up in his cellar in order to 'civilise' her. He forces his submissive, terrified family to partake in his 'moral crusade'. The Woman leads viewers along a frequently shocking and emotionally draining trail, twisting and turning but always leading unavoidably to that haunting and unforgettable climax. From the outset, it is one of those films in which everything indicates it won’t end well.

It serves as a blunt exploration of the violence men inflict upon women, the darkness in humanity and the atrocious things society does, or turns a blind eye to, in the name of Christian morality. It takes barbed jabs at patriarchal, conservative family values, revealing them to be inherently corrupt and hypocritical. Its depiction of domestic abuse is unflinching and overwhelming in its matter of fact and abrupt execution. Even though the sporadic bloodletting will sate gore-hounds in its alarming intensity, it is actually the psychological horror and quiet degradation of the family unit that packs the weightiest punch. The female characters all live in fear of Chris. Tension comes from his unreasonable nature, his  tyrannical brand of patriarchy. He has no redeeming qualities – he has no moral grey area or ambiguity – he is presented as a clean-cut monster we’re actively encouraged to despise. He views his actions as morally righteous, and simply sees women as weak and deserving of violence. Were these misogynous values instilled within him by his own father? Society? Or something broken, dark and damaged in his own soul? Add to this the deliberate, slow-burn approach McKee takes and you’ll get some idea of the stifling tension the film exudes.

One of the most disturbing aspects of the story is how Chris’s son begins to exhibit signs of following in his father’s footsteps, and is actively encouraged by Chris to do so. When Belle (Angela Bettis) attempts to reprimand their son for sexually assaulting the woman, Chris beats her unconscious and props her up at the kitchen table for daring to question his actions, basically saying there was “no harm done.” It is in these moments, when the casual misogyny of the father is absorbed by the son, where the film's message is most powerfully conveyed.  

The performances hold the increasingly extreme story together and all are highly effective. Pollyanna McIntosh is incredibly compelling as the titular character. Equal parts threatening and vulnerable, the wash of emotions exhibited by her is startling; everything is conveyed through her eyes and body language. It's an immensely powerful performance. Elsewhere Angela Bettis provides a typically reliable performance as the downtrodden, soul-broken wife Belle. The fear and powerlessness she feels as she helplessly watches her family be psychologically and physically abused consistently simmers behind her watery eyes.

The Woman is a very well made and commanding film – McKee’s best since May - with an agonisingly taut build up towards an enthralling, blood-soaked climax. 

The Woman (cert. 18) will be available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray from 17th October 2011 courtesy of Revolver Entertainment.

Special features include: The Making of ‘The Woman’, Deleted Scenes, Short Film – ‘Mi Burro’, Meet The Makers, Music track ‘Distracted’ by Sean Spillane and 5 Exclusive Limited Edition Art Cards (HMV only).

The UK Blu-ray release also features an exclusive extra 'The Film4 FrightFest Total Film' panel with Lucky McKee, Andrew van den Houten, Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Ti West and Larry Fessenden.