WOMEN TALKING

US, 2022, 104 minutes, Colour.

Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivy, Sheila McCarthy, Frances McDormand, August Winter, Ben Whishaw.

Directed by Sarah Polley.

Much of this drama consists of women talking. And they have serious matters to talk about.

The basis of this film, chronicled by Miriam Toews, is a Mennonite colony in Bolivia, the early 2000s, when a number of the men sexually harassed, raped, many of the women in the Colony. This film relocates the Colony to North America, the same time period, men arrested, charged, and the rest of the men of the Colony going to the prison to support the accused.

They leave the women behind. The women then gather to take a vote, three main issues: stay, stay and fight, leave. These issues are debated throughout the film, the audience listening to the various arguments pro and con, shifting in opinions and decisions, hearing the final decision and incurring with it.

There is a voice-over narrative, a woman telling the story of the past to a child who was not born at the time. The style of the film includes many close-ups, extreme close-ups of the various women, especially during the discussions, the ranges of opinions, moods. And there is a drained colour look about the film’s part.

Audiences have found the conversation stimulating, raising the now-familiar issues of patriarchy, control of community, laws and regulations, women’s status reduced, sometimes virtual slavery, offered no opportunities for education, illiterate, living a narrow life in the Colony. Men are absent from the film except for the friendly August, whose mother was expelled from the colony because of her questions, he going to the University but returning to teach the boys, commandeered by the women to act as minutes-taker for their discussions, his taking the notes, sometimes intervening but told to stop, apologising, but always offering a sympathetic ear. He is played by Ben we shall. The only other male presence is the driver of a loudspeaker through the Colony urging everyone to participate in the census of 2010, and the song can dream Believer significantly playing (and recurring during the final credits). One of the husbands returns and brutalised as his wife. And there are quite a number of boys going to school.

Sarah Polley has written the screenplay and directed the film, a Canadian actress who made a number of significant films, especially during the 2000 is. She is obviously strongly committed to this theme.

And the female cast is impressive. After 40 years in films and television, Judith Ivy and Sheila McCarthy are significant veterans and represent the older women of the Colony. Frances McDormand, the executive producer, also has a cameo role as an elder who disapproves of the decisions. The younger generation, three striking actresses, a sympathetic Rooney Mara, harassed Claire Foy, an angry Jessie Buckley. And there are several younger actresses who portray the next generation who participate in the meeting.

The audience listens to the arguments, probably concurs with the final decision – and wishes the women well as the huge procession of carts and women and children on foot leave for what may or may not be a promised land. But, they have asserted themselves, vindicated.

1. This film based on actual events? Mennonite community in Bolivia? Transferred to a North American community?
2. Audience response to the issue, the men, the patriarchy, controlling the Colony, the rules, keeping the women in ignorance, illiterate, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, the law, the men defending the abusers?
3. The setting, the Colony, the fields, the crops, the homes, the roads, equipment? The bleached colour design? Contributing to atmosphere? Echoes of the Amish and other communities, the old-style, black dress, work, yet the modern implements?
4. The cast, strong women, the different generations? The absence of men except for August? The presence of the young boys?
5. The situation, the narrator, the story, told to the yet to be born child? To have a record?
6. The situation, the gathering, the discussions, the decisions to be made? To stay and to live with the situation? To stay and fight? To leave? How well the explanations and arguments for each position? Women changing their positions?
7. The group of women, at prayer, religion and faith, the role of God, talk of entering heaven or being refused? The prayer throughout the film, the quotations from the Scriptures, the singing of hymns, Nearer my God To thee?
8. The impact of the discussions throughout the film, audience attention, listening to each woman, the intellectual response, the emotional response, the repercussions for family, departure, leaving men and adolescent children behind? The uncertainties of where to go? No maps? No knowledge of maps, no reading?
9. The decision to leave the discussion and decisions to a committee? The families represented, the women and three generations present? The different perspectives?
10. August, the background of his mother ousted from the Colony, his leaving, the University, his death, his return, to teach the boys, asked to keep the minutes, his ability to write, his opinions and the women stopping him, his apologies? His affection for Ona? Expression of his affection? Her responses, the distance between them?
11. The leadership of the older women, Agara, matriarch, age, experience, always in the Colony, her family, her daughter, the next generation? The words of wisdom, faith, the Scriptures? Greta, also a matriarch, her daughter and granddaughters? The stories of the two horses, her driving the cart, swerving, looking ahead to see the long distance? Their various interventions, ideas, emotions?
12. The presence of Scarface Janz, age, experience, withdrawing from the discussion, observing, judgemental, staying?
13. Melvin, trans, raped as a woman, giving birth, dressing as a man, staying mute, with the children, you name, eventually speaking, sharing in the exodus?
14. The next generation, Ona, quiet, calm, ideas, wanting to stay, the repercussions, changing her mind? The influence of the other women? Salome, her children, fiery and spirit, children, moods, attacking Ona? The contrast with Mariche, her moods, protectiveness, her children, her mother? The sick child? Walking a day and a half to get the antibiotics? The different interactions, attitudes towards August, support, criticisms? Their opinions, the changes?
15. The younger generation, the girls and their friendship, the girl smoking, her physical health and collapse, relationship to their mothers, grandmothers? Their attitudes, participation, decisions?
16. August, his keeping the minutes, making the lists, interventions, apologies, the request to make the list? The map, showing it to Ona? The Southern Cross, fist and thumb, directions for South? The final decision, his love for Ona, her having to go? The final words, helping Agata and her health, waving them away?
17. Klass and his return, Mariche going home, returning battered with arm broken the next morning? His drunkenness?
18. The decision to go, the young girls getting greatest horses, the carriages, the message going around the community, everybody packing, the long line, the carts, the women, the children,, drugging him, taking him?
19. The vision of the long road ahead, the uncertainty and the destination, the self assertion in leaving, an assertion of women, the condemnation of men’s brutality?