Gena Rowlands’ Performance in This Harrowing Movie is the Best of the 1970s

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Gena Rowlands' Performance in This Harrowing Movie is the Best of the 1970s

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  • Gena Rowlands’ Powerhouse Career
  • Rowlands’ Mabel Goes From Bad to Worse

As a film enthusiast who has spent countless hours delving into the rich tapestry of cinematic artistry, I can confidently say that Gena Rowlands’ performance in “A Woman Under the Influence” is nothing short of extraordinary. Her portrayal of Mabel is not just an act, but a breathtakingly raw and authentic depiction of a woman struggling with mental illness.

I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the legendary Hollywood figure, Gena Rowlands, on August 14, 2024. As a two-time Oscar nominee and 2016 Academy Award honoree, she was a groundbreaking actress in independent cinema. Together with her husband, John Cassavetes, they created some of the most authentic and gritty indie films of the ’60s and ’70s.

Despite the iconic movie performances throughout the 1970s, including Gene Hackman in The French Connection, Marlon Brando in The Godfather, Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver, and Jack Nicholson in Chinatown, none outrank the convincing candor of Rowlands’ work in A Woman Under the Influence. In addition to celebrating the towering screen performance in honor of Rowlands’ passing, the sobering depiction of mental illness is more timely and topical than ever in 2024.

Gena Rowlands’ Powerhouse Career

Gena Rowlands' Performance in This Harrowing Movie is the Best of the 1970s

Veteran American actress Gena Rowlands, born Virginia Cathryn Rowlands in 1930, Madison, Wisconsin, commenced her acting journey on television in 1954. In the same year, she tied the knot with John Cassavetes, a multi-talented individual who became a pioneer of American independent cinema during the 60s. Following minor roles in numerous TV series, Rowlands marked her film debut in 1958 with ‘The High Cost of Living.’ The same year, she made an appearance as a nightclub patron in Cassavetes’ first feature-length movie, ‘Shadows.’ This esteemed actress has since amassed four Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes throughout her illustrious career.

In Shadows, Rowlands made her debut, sparking a rich creative partnership with her spouse that lasted throughout their professional lives. This frequent acting-directing duo went on to collaborate next on A Child is Waiting in 1963, Faces, an influential independent film from 1968, the charming romance Minnie and Moskowitz in 1971, Opening Night, a dramatic opera from 1977, the impactful solo showcase Gloria in 1980, and Love Streams in 1984. Rowlands received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in Gloria, and won a Golden Globe for her remarkable performance in A Woman Under the Influence.

Discussing the exceptional acting skills displayed by Gena Rowlands in ‘A Woman Under the Influence’, it’s important to mention that she continued her career following John Cassavetes’ death in 1989. One of her most significant achievements during this period was winning her first Primetime Emmy Award and second Golden Globe for her role in ‘The Betty Ford Story’ in 1987. She added another Emmy to her collection for her leading role in the 1991 TV movie ‘Face of a Stranger’. Throughout her career, Rowlands has amassed an impressive list of credits that includes ‘Hope Floats’, ‘The Notebook’, ‘The Skeleton Key’, ‘Persepolis’, ‘Monk’, ‘Paris, I Love You’, and many more. However, despite this extensive body of work and numerous awards, her intense portrayal of Mabel Longhetti in ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ is often considered the most outstanding performance of the 1970s.

Rowlands’ Mabel Goes From Bad to Worse

Gena Rowlands' Performance in This Harrowing Movie is the Best of the 1970s

In the film “A Woman Under the Influence,” directed by John Cassavetes, we find the character of Mabel Longhetti. Mabel is a homemaker grappling with deep depression, mental illness, and an alcohol addiction. She shares her life with her husband Nick, a construction worker who can sometimes be oppressive, and their three kids. One evening, Mabel arranges for the children to stay with her mother so she can go on a date with Nick. However, her unpredictable behavior that night raises concerns about Mabel’s mental health. When Nick has to cancel their date due to work, Mabel spends the night drinking at a bar with a man named Garson instead.

Despite refusing his advances, Mabel gets extremely intoxicated and ends up at Garson’s house. In the midst of trying to fend off a sexual assault attempt, Mabel strikes Garson with her purse. The following morning, Mabel wakes up next to Garson in bed, confused about the events and still referring to him as Nick. Later, when Nick brings over 10 co-workers for dinner, a hungover Mabel is compelled to cook for them. However, she soon starts acting playfully and engaging with Nick’s colleagues in a friendly manner, displaying a peculiar charm that only heightens viewers’ worries about her mental state.

Time after time, Mabel shifts from being gruff and unfriendly to amiable and charming, with Rowlands crafting one of the most complex, flawed, erratic, and misjudged characters in cinema through this transformation. It’s as if Mabel is accepted and at ease among Nick’s colleagues, but then Nick lashes out at her for being overly friendly with one of them, suggesting his controlling behavior. The next day, hungover and filled with tension, Mabel struggles to handle Nick’s family barging into the house.

A Concerning Climax

As Nick begins contemplating medical care for their situation, Mabel’s behavior and demeanor grow increasingly concerning. She responds by getting intoxicated and hosting a birthday party, causing another parent to remove their child from her company out of concern for their safety. Upon arrival, Nick finds the children are being neglected in a chaotic scene. He loses his temper and slaps Mabel, insisting she seek medical attention for her deteriorating mental state at a psychiatric hospital. This action is prompted by Mabel’s mother accusing her of poor parenting due to excessive drinking, unfaithfulness, and other negative behaviors.

Six months have passed, and upon Mabel’s homecoming, she appears dramatically changed – no longer the quirky, whimsical woman we knew before. Instead, electroshock therapy has left her as a melancholic bystander, barely recognizable. The movie concludes with Mabel, overwhelmed, collapsing in front of her frightened children. In a chilling sequence, she self-harms, causing herself to bleed profusely. As Nick strikes her once more, the audience is left feeling as bruised and traumatized as Mabel, with an outpouring of empathy for her that rivaled any character in 1970s cinema when the credits finally roll.

Why Rowlands’ Performance Is the Best of the 1970s

Gena Rowlands' Performance in This Harrowing Movie is the Best of the 1970s

In a performance that truly defies description, Gena Rowlands delivers an astonishing portrayal in “A Woman Under the Influence“. This is one instance where seeing is truly believing. Rather than seeking dramatic, attention-grabbing scenes, Rowlands subtly constructs a haunting portrait of a woman who is deteriorating, not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally as well. The movie’s title, “A Woman Under the Influence”, signifies more than Mabel’s alcoholism; it also symbolizes the controlling influence of her husband Nick, whose antiquated view of masculinity and patriarchy from the 1950s was still prevalent in the ’70s. Nick, like the alcohol that Mabel consumes, is just as toxic, and Rowlands masterfully connects Mabel’s alcoholism and mental illness to Nick’s detrimental impact on her life.

Throughout the lengthy 155-minute span of the movie, Rowlands masterfully crafts intricate nuances in her portrayal that stand out. She laughs, cries, grins, smiles, slumps, perks up, talks to herself, makes adorable quacking noises, explodes with intense anger, stares vacantly at walls, and transitions seamlessly from calm and composed to energetic and lively. This is skillfully portrayed through subtle body language, captivating eye expressions, and sparse dialogue that requires interpretation. It’s a remarkable performance that mirrors Mabel’s unpredictable physicality with her erratic mental state. The scenes without dialogue showcase Rowlands’ exceptional control over the character; a weary glance here, a moment of fleeting joy there, accumulating to a potent force that exceeds its individual parts.

In the film, it seems as if Mable, portrayed by Rowlands, isn’t acting at all but genuinely living her character. Rowlands delivers an incredibly raw and unadorned portrayal of mental illness that is both chilling and heart-wrenching. The most chilling aspect is that viewers can’t easily discern what’s wrong with Mable until the end, when it becomes clear that her manic psychosis stems from her environment and societal expectations of womanhood. Rowlands masterfully portrays Mabel’s alcoholism as a symptom of a more profound issue, making the viewer feel her turmoil at every step.

Consequently, Rowlands secured a Golden Globe award and received an Oscar nomination for her acting in “A Woman Under the Influence.” Even half a century after its premiere, her portrayal stands out as the finest of the 1970s and among the most remarkable performances ever captured on film.

A Woman Under the Influence is available to stream on Max & The Criterion Channel.

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2024-08-16 23:32