Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

A Woman Under the Influence Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 20, 2012

Nominated for two Academy Awards, John Cassavetes' "A Woman Under the Influence" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute. The supplemental features included with this release are original trailers; video interview with the late Peter Falk; and a video interview with Elaine Kagan. The release also arrives with a 28-page illustrated booklet featuring writings by Tom Charity and Al Ruban, and an interview with director John Cassavetes. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Got a light? And a drink?

Nick (Peter Falk, Wings of Desire, Husbands) loves his wife, Mabel (Gena Rowlands, Gloria, Opening Night), the way she is - brittle, somewhat unpredictable, trying her best to be a good mother to their three children. But deep inside Nick knows that she isn’t well. At work some of his buddies have already told him that they think that she is going crazy, but he knows that this isn’t true - because it can’t be true. Mabel is just different. And right now she just isn’t well. People get sick but then they get better. That’s all. Eventually, Mabel will also get better.

But with each day Mabel gets worse. There are times when she would forget that she is a mother. She would also argue with Nick over small things and then try to hurt herself to prove that she is right. When other men come to their house, Mabel would also act like a little girl and embarrass Nick without even realizing it.

Dr. Zepp (Eddie Shaw), a close friend, eventually recommends that Mabel is hospitalized. While she is away, Nick takes care of the kids. Life becomes quieter but the void Mabel has left behind is difficult to get used to. Nick also can’t get used to the endless questions at work, the offers to help. Are these people serious? He does not need help, never did in his life. All he needs is Mabel next to him, smiling, taking care of the kids, telling him that she loves him.

Six months later Mabel returns. She stills looks brittle, but now she seems to understand how she is expected to behave. All of the guests who have come to greet her are encouraged - whatever the doctors did to her sure seems to have worked. But when Mabel asks to see the children, something inside her suddenly snaps and she goes berserk again.

Arguably John Cassavetes’ greatest film, A Woman Under the Influence is so raw and direct that at times it becomes incredibly difficult to endure. The atmosphere is too tense, the pain and suffering too real not to be moved by them.

The film is also too chaotic, but not unfocused. This is the type of chaos that human suffering creates. There is a good reason why Nick and Mabel’s children are often in front of the camera - they are the litmus test in their lives, keeping them sane, aware that they are adults who must act like adults. The viewer also understands that they are real people. When the children are not around, Nick and Mabel are taken out of their comfort zones and pushed into the chaos where they unleash their emotions and hurt each other. The drama is beyond real, often devastating to watch.

There is zero sentimentality in the film. The reason why is because A Woman Under the Influence is not a study of marriage and relationships, it is a slice of American reality. That’s all. The chronology of Nick and Mabel’s relationship isn’t important; the beginning and the end are absolutely irrelevant. What matters is how they react to the events that affect their lives now, while the camera ‘sees’ them. When the camera stops filming it is not because their story has come to a conclusive end, it is because Cassavetes has simply captured the essence and rhythm of their lives.

It has been said many times that Rowlands’ brilliant performance is the reason why the film works so well, but Falk is the real catalyst that gives the film its edge. He is a tough man who keeps trying to be a good husband and father but keeps failing. It is absolutely impossible not to be moved by his attempts to show that he is still strong, capable of dealing with whatever life throws at him, and repeatedly discovering that he is no longer the man he used to be.

Note: In 1975, A Woman Under the Influence earned Oscar nominations for Best Director (John Cassavetes) and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Gena Rowlands).

A Woman Under the Influence Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Cassavetes' A Woman Under the Influence arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:

"The film was transfered in high-definition on a Spirit Datacine from a colour reversal internegative. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System. The soundtracks were mastered at 24-bit from a 35mm magnetic audio track and audio restoration tools used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss and crackle.

Telecine supervisor: Maria Palazzola.
Telecine colorist: Gregg Garvin/Modern Videofilm, LA.
Technical producer: Tim Everett.
Technical assistant: Douglas Weir."

The high-definition transfer used for this Blu-ray release of John Cassavetes' legendary film is simply beautiful. From start to finish the film has a very strong organic look, and clarity and especially depth are undoubtedly superior to those from Criterion's R1 DVD release of the film. Colors are warm and soft but stable and natural. Unsurprisingly, color depth is very good. The best news, however, is that there are absolutely no traces of excessive degraining. Also, there isn't even a whiff of annoying edge-enhancement. Large cuts, damage marks, splices, or warps are also nowhere to be seen. There is no edge-flicker or major stability issues to report in this review either. Excluding one very short sequence where some light noise creeps in and becomes easy to spot, the rest of the film looks exactly as it should on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

A Woman Under the Influence Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, the BFI have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

I could not be happier with the lossless audio track. Considering how the film was shot, there is an excellent range of dynamics, and depth is very good. The opera extracts sound particularly good, while the street footage has the rawness it ought to have. There is some extremely light hiss that is detectable from time to time, but the dialog is exceptionally crisp and easy to follow.

A Woman Under the Influence Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Blu-ray

• Trailer - original trailer for A Woman Under the Influence. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - alternative 16mm trailer for A Woman Under the Influence. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

DVD

• Falk on Cassavetes: Husbands and Wives - in this video interview, the late Peter Falk recalls his first encounter with director John Cassavetes and their work on Husbands, and discusses their collaboration on A Woman Under the Influence. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Interview - in this video interview, Elaine Kagan, who was John Cassavetes' personal assistant for a number of years, discusses the director's work ethic, his passions, his relationship with Ben Gazzara and Peter Falk, the shooting of A Woman Under the Influence, etc. The interview was conducted by Tom Charity. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Booklet - 28-page illustrated booklet featuring Tom Charity's essay "A Woman Under the Influence"; Al Ruban's essay "Less Can Be More"; an interview with director John Cassavetes which originally appeared in Filmmakers' Newsletter (Volume 8, No 3, January 1975); and a director's biography.

A Woman Under the Influence Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Cassavetes' A Woman Under the Influence is a landmark American film which must have a U.S. release. The Blu-ray release herein reviewed, courtesy of the British Film Institute, uses a beautiful high-definition transfer which was struck from a telecine supervised by Criterion's Maria Palazzola. I hope this means that in 2013 we will see Criterion's wonderful DVD box set of Cassavetes films transition to Blu-ray. For those of you residing in Region-B territories A Woman Under the Influence should be an essential release to own. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.