Wanda (film)
Encyclopedia
Wanda is an independent
1970 drama film
that was written and directed by Barbara Loden
, who also stars in the title role. It is set in the anthracite coal region of eastern Pennsylvania.
).
. It is seldom seen, but strongly admired. Loden, the wife of director Elia Kazan
, died from cancer before she had an opportunity to make another film. But the legacy of Wanda, one of the very few American feature films directed by women at that time, endures.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
1970 drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
that was written and directed by Barbara Loden
Barbara Loden
Barbara Loden was an American film and stage actress and film director....
, who also stars in the title role. It is set in the anthracite coal region of eastern Pennsylvania.
Plot
Wanda, after a string of abusive relationships, abandons her family and seeks solace in the company of a petty criminal (Michael HigginsMichael Higgins (actor)
Michael Patrick Higgins was an American actor who appeared in film and on stage, and was best known for his role in the original Broadway production of Equus.-Early life:...
).
Evaluation
Stylistically the film is improvisational and meditative in nature, similar to the works of European directors like Robert BressonRobert Bresson
-Life and career:Bresson was born at Bromont-Lamothe, Puy-de-Dôme, the son of Marie-Élisabeth and Léon Bresson. Little is known of his early life and the year of his birth, 1901 or 1907, varies depending on the source. He was educated at Lycée Lakanal in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, close to Paris, and...
. It is seldom seen, but strongly admired. Loden, the wife of director Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan was an American director and actor, described by the New York Times as "one of the most honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history". Born in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, to Greek parents originally from Kayseri in Anatolia, the family emigrated...
, died from cancer before she had an opportunity to make another film. But the legacy of Wanda, one of the very few American feature films directed by women at that time, endures.
Further reading
- Melton, Ruby, "Barbara Loden on Wanda—'An Environment that Is Overwhelmingly Ugly and Destructive'", Film Journal v. 1, no. 2 (summer 1971), pp. 11–15.
- Reynaud, Bérénice, “For Wanda”, in The Last Great American Picture Show, Thomas Elsaesser, Alexander Horwath and Noel King, eds, Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2004, 223-247