A Woman Under the Influence
BUY AT:
See more details, packaging, or compare
Synopsis
This uncompromising portrait of domestic turmoil details the emotional breakdown of a suburban housewife and her family’s struggle to save her from herself. Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk give unforgettably harrowing performances as a married couple deeply in love but unable to express their ardor in terms the other can understand. This landmark American film is perhaps the most beloved work from the extraordinary John Cassavetes.
Picture 9/10
The third film in Criterion’s Blu-ray box set John Cassavetes: Five Films, A Woman Under the Influence is presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on this dual-layer disc. The film has been given a 1080p/24hz high-definition presentation.
Unsurprisingly Criterion’s edition looks pretty close to the BFI’s own Blu-ray (they apparently both come from the same masters) if not better. It looks incredibly crisp when the source allows (some shots can appear a bit out of focus) and detail is staggering. Colours are fairly bright and vivid despite a rather basic palette, and black levels appear to be spot on.
The film is grainy of course, and the density of it can vary, but it looks clean and doesn’t give off a pixilated, digital look. Artifacts in general are of no concern, and even the source itself is in incredible shape with only a few noticeable imperfections of note. A stunner, and it improves noticeably over Criterion’s already strong DVD edition.
A Woman Under the Influence - Screen Captures
Audio 7/10
Criterion supplies a 1.0 linear PCM mono track that sounds surprisingly good all things considered. There is some slight distortion noticeable in places (more than likely an issue with the original recordings) but the track is clean, delivers clear dialogue, and doesn’t present any background noise. It lacks much in the way of fidelity but it’s generally pleasing to the ear.
Extras 6/10
Criterion ports all of their supplements over from their DVD edition starting with a slightly disappointing audio commentary by camera man Mike Ferris and sound man Bo Harwood, longtime collaborators with Cassavetes. It's very technical, as one would expect, and offers some interesting comments on the technique to making these films, but I found they were comments already covered rather well on the supplements on the previous discs. Still, they offer comments on Cassavetes, the cast and their overall experience over the years, which I liked hearing. It's a decent commentary but disappointing since it's the only one over the entire 5-disc box set.
A 17-minute conversation between Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk is also included. This has the two talking about the film and Cassavetes himself, with the camera just sitting on them. They're more or less interviewing each other and cover some interesting ground, especially Falk's comments on his likes and frustrations with Cassavetes, specifically his reaction to his technique while working on Husbands.
A fairly lengthy audio interview with Cassavetes by Michael Ciment, recorded in 1975, is next. The two talk about his work, A Woman Under the Influence particularly, development of his characters, how he works with his actors and whether it’s different when he directs Rowlands, and more. Cassavetes is passionate, making it a fascinating interview. It runs 74-minutes and has been divided into 7 chapters.
The disc then closes with a series of production galleries, offering on set photos from the shoot, followed by a theatrical trailer.
A decent set of supplements but it’s probably the weakest set to be found in the set.
Closing
Criterion’s upgrade keeps the same supplements from the DVD but delivers a far more filmic presentation with its new high-definition transfer.
BUY AT:
