The most selected film in the Criterion closet also features one of the best performances of all time

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The most selected film in the Criterion closet also features one of the best performances of all time

The Criterion Closet, every movie buff’s utopia, is now a traveling circus that all physical media collectors can visit across cities across the country. Before hitting the road, the Criterion Collection’s physical media room, storing all of their prestigious titles on Blu-ray, was a welcome location for actors and directors promoting their new projects. Not only can they indulge their cinephile, but the creative artists invited to the closet can leave with the ultimate gift for movie buffs: classic and contemporary films on physical media, restored to their original state.

For those who watch the Criterion Closet videos released by the home media distribution company (they’re certainly not to be missed), you’re more than likely to find guests hanging out. A woman under the influence from the shelf and speaking poetically of its greatness. As their eyes light up at the sight of Jean Cassavetes‘ groundbreaking domestic drama starring Gena Rowlandsyou will understand how formative the 1974 film is for a generation of filmmakers and actors who aspired to innovate and explore the most vulnerable crevices of the human body.

‘A Woman Under the Influence’ Is Appreciated Thanks to Gena Rowlands’ Lead Performance

For a certain cohort, the Criterion Closet is a close approximation of the red carpet, and it’s received its share of A-list attention to justify that comparison. Winona Ryder, Zoe Kravitz, Channing Tatum, Cillian Murphy, Jamie Lee Curtisand many others came to reveal their knowledge of art house cinema and the history of cinema, as well as to complete their collection of physical media.

What do all the stars mentioned above have in common? They all selected A woman under the influence from the shelf, or, in some cases, the Criterion-curated collection featuring five of John Cassavetes’ most essential works, which also includes Shadows And Opening night. “Gena Rowlands’ performance is one of the best things I’ve ever seen,” Zoë Kravitz said while touring the closet with her. Blink twice star, Channing Tatum. Jamie Lee Curtis noted the comparisons between her character in The bear and Mabel Longhetti (Rowlands) in Woman under the influence. “It makes me really proud to think that something I did as an artist would fit into the realm of Gena Rowlands’ work,” she said.

The immense respect paid to A woman under the influenceand in particular its stunning lead performance, tell you everything you need to know about its lasting power. The film was the culmination of Cassavetes’ bold and revolutionary style of independent filmmaking. which laid the foundations for a cinema that disrupted the tropes of escapism and offered something authentic and human. Told with documentary-like honesty, the film follows Mabel, a lonely wife and mother stuck inside the house, performing menial tasks while her husband, Nick (Pierre Falk), works on a construction site. Retrospectively cited as an insightful portrait of mental health, Mabel exhibits symptoms of manic depression, cheerful and exuberant one minute, then hostile and upset a minute later.

The 15 Best Gena Rowlands Movies, Ranked

A woman of influence.

Gena Rowlands’ performance in ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ broke new ground

Rowlands, who died in 2024, built a case for delivering the best on-screen performance in history in A woman under the influence. Directed by her husband, Cassavetes, it taps into the human condition with more intimacy than anyone had ever seen on screen in 1974, portraying Mabel as an open wound neglected by society. Close-up, hand-held photography of Cassavetes allows Rowlands to chew the scenery and move freelyadding another layer of personality and curiosity to the enigmatic Mabel. His ability to shift from affection to rage practically breaks the form of on-screen acting, and a film like this can be loose and light on plot with such a dynamic and layered performance.

Upon its release, Hollywood was undergoing a revolution led by a new generation of movie stars who were physically unconventional men who sought troubled and deeply complex roles like Al Pacino, Robert DeNiroAnd Jack Nicholson. The New Hollywood reflected America’s dark and unpredictable times, but these films were primarily male-directed and focused, and women were rarely allowed to reach the psychological depths of Travis Bickle in Taxi driver or Randall McMurphy in We flew over a cuckoo’s nest. How often female artists select A woman under the influence inside the closet Criterion reflects how good North Star Gena Rowlands’ performance really isfor she in turn embodies the feeling of disillusionment and constant pressure of the female experience in mundane or perilous circumstances.

It would be easy for any sobering domestic drama to demonize Mabel as “crazy,” but A woman under the influence celebrates the character’s mercurial tendencies. In a sterile and conformist world, we should love him for his free and independent, unwavering spirit. Reflecting the present more than ever, Criterion should ensure they continue to print Blu-rays of the film, as their guests will continue to pick up copies.