Women Talking (2022) Screenplay and directed by Sarah Polley. Based on the Canadian 2018 novel of the same name by Miriam Toews.

Watch Women Talking | Prime Video (amazon.co.uk)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_Talking_(film)

‘Women Talking’ is a deceptively simple title. Margaret Attwood suggested comparisons with A Handmaid’s Tale. The near-future is already here. Events that occurred between 2005 and 2009 in a remote Mennonite colony in Bolivia inspired the novel. In their close-knit religious community, it was discovered that eight men had been raping the women after rendering them unconscious with cow anaesthetic. The past is never really past either. The film adaptation Americanises them and brings the religious community to a modern American hayloft.  It had me thinking of Twelve Angry Men.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Angry_Men

Here we have 12 angry women. They have good reason to be angry. Cow tranquilliser have drugged children as young as four and incestuous victims, raped and shamed. Evil spirits were blamed for the abuse, but in reality, it was not only the rapists who failed, but also the other men and boys who knew about it and let it happen. Who helped nurture the hatred of women as being less than beasts, not only by refusing them education, but also blaming them for spreading anger and lies, while they spoke their truth. In a faith-based community (comparison can be made with the Catholic Church here), when there is no truth, there can be no faith worthy of the word.

Women that have been exploited and ignored are a mainstay of most societies. Here the stakes are higher. For these women have no recognised modern skills. Their identity is tied to caring roles and being a wife and mother.  

The women in the hay loft represent the women and children not in the hay loft. The women’s jury decision is seen as binding on the others.

 Scarface Janz (Frances McDormand) opts out. The enormity of the decision is too much for her. She preaches forgiveness and men know best. Ironically, Frances McDormand as producer would have played a key role in making sure Women Talking was made. Without her backing and cameo role it is unlikely the film would have went into production.

The eleven Women Talking in a hayloft are complimented by Ben Whishaw as August the scribe, and in his subservient role, an honorary woman. The complement of twelve disciples is fixed again. August adds a secondary story line. He’s in love with the Christ-like figure of Rooney Mara as Ona who embodies a translucent beauty. Ona, who embodies a translucent beauty, could also be regarded as a Virgin Mary figure, even though she is technically still a virgin but pregnant.

Perhaps I’m reading too much into it—as sometimes happens in better films—strength in unity and unity in strength. Where does forgiveness begin and end? What about natural justice? Their options are to do nothing (Scarface Janz suggests the reinforcement of the status-quo). Stay and fight as many initially want to do, but what of their pacificism, their duty to scripture? Would they then become the oppressor of men, in the same way women have been suppressed? Leave—it seems like 12 Angry Men—will come to the right decision, in the same way 11 Angry Women (and honorary woman). Worth watching.

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