Women Talking

 

Women Talking (Amazon Prime)

This is an outstanding drama. The film is sparse and intense. It has the feel more of theater with dialogue being the main element of the film. The film is based on a book by Miriam Toews, but the story is true. In a colony of Mennonites living in Bolivia, the colony’s women were raped in their sleep by the men using a cow tranquilizer to seduce them. It is implied the rapes were going on for some time. A group of women meet in a hay loft to decide either to do nothing, stay and fight or leave. In their deliberations they give voice to their violations. The rapes are flashbacks with the victims awaking in their beds with bloody sheets and bruises on their legs.

Rooney Mara’s character, Ona, is a victim of rape and is with child. She gives a subdued but powerful performance. She is one of the main debaters of what the women should do. Claire Foy is the firebrand who is passionate about fighting and protecting her daughter (young girls were also raped). Foy’s character is unforgiving and capable of inflicting violence.

Frances McDormand has a brief but important role. She is called Scarface, because of a y shaped scar on her cheek. How she got the scar is not revealed, but violence is implied. She is a traditionalist and is for doing nothing and remaining. She shows forbearance but her price is heavy.

The only man seen in the film is Ben Whishaw as August. Since the women cannot read or write August is recruited to take the minutes of the meeting. As opposed to the brutalities inflicted by the men he is a gentle soul, soft spoken and sincere. The women hope he can teach the boys to grow to be caring men.

The movie gives the impression of being black and white given the lack of any distinguishing color. This approach sets the tone of the movie; the present is bleak, but the future may be brighter.

The film is Oscar nominated for best picture and best adapted play.