IMDb > Wanda (1970)
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Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   431 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 11% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Barbara Loden
Writer:
Barbara Loden (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Wanda on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
August 2004 (Portugal) more
Genre:
Drama more
Plot:
In grim, rust-belt Pennsylvania, Wanda is down and out. She works sporadically, has abandoned her husband and children... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Classic Status
 (From IFC. 19 May 2009, 2:39 AM, PDT)
Frako Loden Explores Lost and Found Women Directors: Ida Lupino’s Outrage & The Bigamist
 (From Twitch. 5 March 2009, 10:40 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Quietly Impressive more (10 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Barbara Loden ... Wanda Goronski
Michael Higgins ... Norman Dennis
Dorothy Shupenes ... Wanda's Sister
Peter Shupenes ... Brother In Law
Jerome Thier ... John
Marian Thier ... Miss Godek
Anthony Rotell ... Tony
M.L. Kennedy ... Judge
Gerald Grippo ... Court Clerk
Milton Gittleman ... Factory Owner
Lila Gittleman ... His Wife
Arnold Kanig ... Traveling Salesman
Joe Dennis ... Joe
Charles Dosinan ... Father
Jack Ford ... Mr. Anderson
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
102 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Argentina:Atp | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:AA | Portugal:M/16
Filming Locations:
Carbondale, Pennsylvania, USA more
Company:
Foundation for Filmakers more

Fun Stuff

Quotes:
Norman Dennis: If you don't want anything you won't have anything, and if you don't have anything, you're as good as dead. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "The Mike Douglas Show: (1972-02-15)" (1972) more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
17 out of 18 people found the following comment useful.
Quietly Impressive, 30 March 2003
Author: richard winters (rwint) from Chicago, Illinois

There is a scene, near the beginning, that shows our main character from a distance walking through mounds of coal to get to her father to ask him for some money. The shot stays on her for what seems like several minutes. The camera simply and slowly pans forwarded as she progresses. Some may say this is boring, others the work of a amateur that doesn't know when to cut. Yet this is a very brilliant shot that shows the true essence of what this film is about and the plight of our character. In life she is constantly walking. Unable to fully grasp the true dissolution of her existence she continues to search for something, anything. She is the victim of life's cruel riddle. A riddle that has no answer.

This is a very sad movie, probably one of the saddest movies you will ever see. It is sad because Wanda's condition is not unique and probably makes up more of the working poor than we care to think. It helps clarify the desperation that people in these circumstances both live and feel. It also helps explain why they will get into such stupid situations and at times make such dumb and illogical choices.

Here drifter Wanda meets up with a two bit crook named Mr Davis. The two create a very odd relationship and actually prove beneficial to each other. She brings out his long dormant tenderness, while he, in one truly touching moment, actually gives her some confidence. Of course it doesn't last, but it is an inspiring piece nonetheless. It shows that even the most pathetic of people, in the most bleakest of situations, can still transcend themselves.

This is actually quite a powerful film. It's very stark, grimy, almost home movie look is actually an asset. No stylized interpretations here. The dingy bars, restaurants, homes, hotels, and factories are all very, very real. You start to feel as trapped in their grayness as the characters. This is a far more billiant and manipulative film than one might initially believe.

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