Last summer, during the annual Fantasia Film Festival craze here in Montreal, I missed the opportunity of seeing Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee’s highly controversial movie THE WOMAN. Like everyone else, I had witnessed the infamous video featuring one man’s rant over the film content during Sundance, and to tell you the truth, nothing about it surprised me. Anyone who has ever read Ketchum knows what he or she is in for. Obviously, this man had never heard of him, for he would have chosen not to make a fool out of himself like he did. As for I, missing this highly sought-after film event was really a bummer, but work schedule interfered and, try as I did, I couldn’t get out of it. And, besides, it wasn’t like I would never see the film again. I could always catch it on DVD, or better yet, wait for the film wide theatrical release. For surely it would grace our big screens very soon, wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t it?!
Well, as it turned out, the outcome was far from what I expected. It took me the longest time to finally get the chance to see the film. And the reason? Simple: I live in Canada. Indeed, my own hometown—which had so prided itself for showing THE WOMAN before many others just last August—failed to be selected for the film’s limited release this time around. I was floored. Literary floored. Couldn’t walk for days. No, just kidding. Let just say I was miffed. But being the trooper that I am, I took the time instead to read the novel upon which the film is based. I love doing that; you know, comparing the written words to the actual movie adaptation. Since Ketchum did both jobs on THE WOMAN (along with McKee, who, as you all know, also directs the film), I was even more intrigued.
Before getting to the movie, let me just say that THE WOMAN ended up being at the top of my list for the best reads of 2011. How’s that for a little book that could (barely over 200 pages), huh?! Yes, I concur, it might have been a slow year for horror in print (at least for me), but THE WOMAN definitely put the genre back on my map. The way both authors succeeded in fleshing out their characters while mixing dread with violence made my nerves stand on end. Being the second sequel after OFF SEASON and OFFSPRING you’d think Ketchum would run out of steam. No siree. THE WOMAN is fresh, disturbing, and very well-written, I might add. Yes, the story could have done without the unnecessary epilogue, and the overall presentation sometimes do feel like a written script. But as a whole THE WOMAN sure kicks ass, I’m telling ya.
And the movie adaptation? Even better. From first reel to last I was caught up again into the story of a troubled family man capturing a cannibal woman from the wilderness to tame her and make her his own, even though I already knew more or less of the outcome. But seeing it all, moving and shaking up there with all those great actors was definitely icing on the cake. It made me realize yet again how much I dig this type of horror. You know, those films or books that send shivers down your spine while making you think about important stuff like human behavior and how screwed up the world really is underneath its cookie-cutter facade. Pure gold, dear readers, pure gold.
And now the big question: does THE WOMAN really carry a misogynistic message? At face value, it probably does, but when you scratch the surface a little, you soon realize that the problem goes way deeper than that, to the beginning of civilization perhaps. Whether you agree or not with this is up to you. But one thing’s for sure, THE WOMAN is one hot commodity. I urge you to see it. Heck, read the novel first if you prefer. But just do it. You’ll thank me again later, I promise.
THE WOMAN movie has moved on to the DVD market from The Collective (with Bloody Disgusting Selects); while you can catch the novel wherever books are sold.
Until next post—Martin
