MovieChat Forums > Something Wild Discussion > Couldn't bear to watch the whole movie.....

Couldn't bear to watch the whole movie...

posted 10 years ago by LuvvieHowell
12 replies | jump to latest

To me, this movie was incredibly painful and unpleasant to watch. I turned it off right after she moved in with Mike. The pace was SO SLOW, and the fact that she had been raped and no one seemed to care upset me greatly.

It speaks volumes about how poorly women are treated in society. The scene where her mother is talking to that fat cop got me so upset I wanted to punch the screen.

What little I did watch just highlighted what a pieces of trash humans are. No one was nice to her; not the women at work, not the hooker next door, the landlord, not even her own mother.

I just coudln't stand it...too close too home. 'Nuff said.

[–] addison3 10 years ago

I think your missing the point. First off this was 1961. Things were alot different. Often women didn't report rape. So how would anyone know? Everyone was buttoned up back then. Her mom was extremely backward and older. The women at the dime store just thought she was snobby. Of course it's painful to watch. It's meant to be. I remember this movie when I was a kid. It's very disturbing.

[–] movies789 9 years ago

SPOILER... What a bizarre, nonsensical ending. In a flash, she morphs from hate-filled kidnap victim, à la "The Collector", to a bubbly, glassy-eyed, June Cleaver-type straight out of "The Stepford Wives". Having miraculously and breathlessly escaped her tormentor, she then, inexplicably (after a refreshing night's sleep in a city park) returns to him THE NEXT DAY to literally throw herself into his arms, asking to shack up - and gets married and pregnant, living happily ever after. There's an ever-so-artsy explanation to all this floating out there somewhere, but it completely eludes me!

[–] english3101972 9 years ago

OMG thank you!!! I watched this last night and I came here to see if anyone else thought the same thing I did and you hit it exactly. I am still wondering about this movie too even though the director was in a discussion on TCM afterwards because he gave nothing to answer my question.

[–] schwapj 9 years ago

Absolutely agree. I was thinking what a bleak movie this was, watching her walk aimlessly around the city, knowing the movie was scheduled to end in a few minutes, and expecting her to try to kill herself again. Suddenly she wakes up in the park; and then when she stretched like she'd just taken the most refreshing nap in the world, I knew the ending was going to stink even worse.

[–] KrazeeforKittiez 9 years ago

She had time to recover. He was holding her prisoner but maybe he was trying to save her from herself. Except for the time he got drunk and wanted to make love to her....he tried to take care of her. When he was drunk, he did not realize how inappropriate it was to want to kiss and hold her. Even when he found out that she was the one who blinded him in one eye....he understood. IMO, he left the door open to see what she would do. She went out and happened to meet some strangers who were nice ... not menacing. She saw that life could be beautiful and in all the time she had been with him, he had taken care of her. She felt a kinship to him because she realized that he must have been damaged too so she went back.(in the 60's, a raped women was damaged) It was her choice this time.

I don't know why but I got the feeling that he meant well and I hoped they would get it together.

However, since he was an alcoholic.....I don't think it could have lasted.

btw...I think she did have some brain damage to sleep in the great outdoors after having been raped there.

I had the chance to work with Michael Jackson who was as brilliant as they come.
Tommy Mottola

[–] mike-848 8 years ago

Totally agree with you. I got sucked into this movie because the acting was good and I wanted to see what Doris Roberts and Jean Stapleton looked like in 1961 but as I looked at the time remaining when she escaped from Mike I knew there was a possibility there would be a really dumb unbelievable ending. I wasn't wrong.

Sometimes spoilers posted about films can be a good thing. Wish I read one about this flick before I wasted my time on it.

[–] sleepingtiger (712) 8 years ago

Actually I think there had to be some time in between where she escaped from him and got herself together. I never got the impression that she went back to him literally the next day---seriously doubt that happened. I have to admit, didn't like the ending at first, but seeing it again made me look at it differently this time. I give this film some major credit just for dealing with how victims of rape had to handle the aftermath of what happened to them in those days,because that wasn't a subject even dealt with upfront in movies of that era. I thought it was very sad seeing what she was going through, because it was clear she would have committed suicide, if the mechanic hadn't stopped her from doing so. I mean, this was made in a time where folks barely discussed rape, let alone the aftermath of it, and they were no support groups for her to go to. The film actually had more of an arthouse European feel to it, and it was a nice little indie flick,too---well acted. Very thoughtful and honest film for its time.

[–] Zonkzelda 8 years ago

She realizes that he was the only person who cares about her.

[–] Popcorngal (4818) 4 years ago

That is messed up.

[–] Itsamoomoo 9 years ago

But look at you. You're calling the gentleman "fat."

[–] KrazeeforKittiez 9 years ago

She did not tell anyone that she had been raped. But you are right, her co-workers were tacky.....unfortunately, they usually are. Most of mine have been. I think in her case....she was so pretty and classy that she just did not fit in at that rooming house or on the sales floor at the five and dime. The others were trying to figure her out and did not understand her. Many times, people are rude and hateful to someone they don't understand. She kept to herself and so they had no chance to understand her.

You are right....the place was too slow; but I was hypnotized, I guess. I missed the beginning and thankfully, I was able to find it on you tube. After seeing the beginning, it made more sense to me.

I had the chance to work with Michael Jackson who was as brilliant as they come.
Tommy Mottola

[–] Popcorngal (4818) 4 years ago

It was strange seeing Jean Stapleton cast as a trashy woman in this film.