
It’s been a year since I went to the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 to catch the world premiere of ‘Woman of the Hour,’ Anna Kendricks’s directorial debut, and the film is just as haunting today. The film is written by Ian McDonald who was inspired to write and produce its screenplay after studying the life of a serial rapist and killer Rodney Alcala who participated in the dating game in 1978. She not only plays the role of an intelligent and spunky aspiring actress named Sheryl, who was matched with him on that fateful day, but also portrays the character with a lot of curiosity considering the power of the gaze in human and cinematic forms.
On the contrary, Kendrick shoots the movie from the perspective of the woman Rodney killed. One side of the camera shows him letting the women know, “You’re beautiful”, while the other side reveals him in his chilling photographer guise. He was able to mask himself with the power of his gaze, portraying himself as a talented photographer while concealing his being a serial killer. Kendricks begins the film with a murdered victim from 1977, and as the movie progresses the audience only hears her before they see her. The first glance of her is captured by Alcala’s lens. He tells her, “Try to forget there is a camera here.”
Kendrick then centers her lens on Alcala’s face, the deep pools of ‘empathy’ concealed in the eyes of actor Daniel Zovatto, the very thing that enables him to plunge women into a false sense of security. Once released from ‘safe’ mode, such eyes are overtaken by overwhelming cruelty. Kendrick holds on to his face; allowing the switch to transpire before our very eyes, his shoulders rising into a shrug, placing us in the juxtaposed position of Gynephilic psychopath’s victims.
Alcala and Sheryl have drinks together later in the film. This date isn’t turning out in Alcala’s favor. Apparently, Sheryl’s laughter has made some changes to the gentleman-like characteristics of this seemingly charming bachelor. In recovery mode, the light-hearted lady claims that she does not date often. “It’s funny that you are on a dating show,” he says. She explains, “My agent said it would get me seen.” “Did you feel seen?” he questions. On both of their faces, the camera frames her side, where she claims to have been feeling looked at. “How do you feel right now,” he pushes. “I feel fine,” unwillingly she accepts while her discomfort denotes her clear anxiety. “Fine,” he replies mockingly. “Hey, most people don’t like to be seen. They’re afraid. Because you know why, you have to self-accept. You have to stop putting on a show.”
Every woman in Kendrick’s film has a moment where she must try to appease a person in order to get out of the dire circumstance.
For Sheryl, there are countless straining performances she must endure throughout this film. Like Ed Burke for example, the game show’s host, who, when meeting Sheryl in her changing room, spouts a cavalcade of casual racism and feminism disguised in empathy, only to ask her not to scare the rich men away with her brains. He gives the same instructions to Sheryl during casting as he did when she reamed two men debating her self worth at a casting call. Smirking, she maintains the same expression for those, like her neighbor Terry, who’s also a struggling actor, for whom she has to reject every advance he makes over drinks. A smile and laugh is what teenage Amy, a runaway who escaped from Alcala’s grip, used to endure her first meeting with him.
As Sheryl was about to end the game show, she asked whether the turn of question was misogynistic. To that her make-up artist assured, Sheryl indeed did not. Indifferent towards Sheryl’s reservation, the make-up lady persisted saying, “No matter what words they use, the question beneath the question remains the same.” Sheryl, perplexed, asks, “What’s the question?” To which the make-up lady sharply responds, “Which one of you will hurt me?”
All Kendrick’s films explore the same question-and that is, why do women struggle to survive in an environment that doesn’t fully safeguard them from men’s brutality? In the film, one of the victims explains, “I knew he was risky, but screw it, everyone’s a threat,” as Alcala snaps a shot of her seconds before he lethally chokes her.
The woman’s locked gaze and her attempt to silently shout for help made a world within a world. Exhibition shows how being seen or understood has an impact. The woman desperately shaking her head yes, while being shook, displays the changes of wanting to be bothered. Towards the middle of the film, as Alcala tries to order a second drink, the eyebrows of the woman being served get raised, clearly outlining that we’re done for today. Her body language sends a not so polite and welcoming message. Sheryl meets Amy again in the cocktail shirt saying they are done for the day. Amy is trapped in a car and desperately trying to get the attention of a guy passing by with a message that screams, help me. Towards the end of the piece, when Sheryl is throwing in the last aid of hope, her going completely blind but still staring into his eyes is a heartbreaking yet eye gripping aspect of the show.
This piece shows again the amazing trust look and silence helps build after years of friendship. This frustration and feeling is understood between women especially in the presence of an overpowering man.
Sadly, most of these incidents are not resolved, and in one way or another, all women around the world have faced a situation like this. During the description of the movie, I distinctly recall a particular moment in my early twenties: a certain dinner that I organized with a male professional acquaintance of mine. While I possessed great ambition in my youthful days, I remember the man often gave off unnatural airs. Having friends present at the dinner was something I assumed would act as protection. Yet, little by little, my friends began to drop off they were oblivious to the message I was sending with my eyes. I was fortunate enough to step out of the dinner before things got darker, however, I did cross my boundaries when I was left alone with that man, leaving me in a state of horror and ultimately, more unsafe than I have ever felt. Kendrick feels this very sentiment and expresses it through every conceivable cinematic method she possesses at her disposal.
While it is understandable to make comparisons to the “Zodiac” by David Fincher, it cannot be dismissed since it is useful to make such a surgical examination from the outset. Kendrick has indeed crafted a compelling thriller set in the 1970s about a sadistic serial killer who dominates for a decade.
While Fincher’s film depicts how men’s obsession with solving the Zodiac mystery impacted their lives, Kendrick’s focuses on Alcala to demonstrate how society enabled him. It highlights the way violence against women is made acceptable through underlying that grow out of male supremacy and misogyny, which ultimately creates an atmosphere where violence is inevitable. This may be interpreted as an even greater condemnation of the ‘Zodiac’ and those true crime films that followed in its footsteps and seem to derive pleasure from staging these violent re-enactments.
In contrast, Kendrick leans away from gory detail and opts for more of a montage style depicting Alcara’s gruesome acts. Similar to Rodriguez, Kendrick too sets the tone and builds anticipation through ambient noise over more obvious violent imagery. She uses the cut-away boundary to highlight men’s voyeuristic tendencies. Rather than fade out, she chooses to focus on ordinary but cruel moments of violence. The countless times a man placed his hand on Sheryl’s neck or hair completely disregarding her space.
I can’t help but feel like it’s interesting how Alcala was just able to smile off what the cops said and walk away scoffing at the way they were amused. Just like in the manner which Laura’s boyfriend would too question everything that she had claimed as concrete.
In the middle of shooting an episode of ‘The Dating Game’, Sheryl recalls the makeup artist saying, “Sit back and enjoy yourself. You can say anything because that is the point”. Really, wouldn’t it be great if life was that straightforward?
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