Sexual assault is an uncomfortable subject to tackle. Often used cheaply by writers to elicit sympathy or provoke shock, its recent overuse in the industry has prompted some show-runners to ban its depiction in their shows. While this tactless use garners far more column images, there are other provocative auteurs more deftly exploring ideas of power and sexual abuse, perhaps the best recent example being Verhoeven’s Elle. Either way, tackling the subject has always yielded divisive fare, and the 1961 effort Something Wild is no different; but certainly fitting into the latter category of a more considered, thought-provoking approach.
Mary Ann (an enthralling performance from Carroll Baker) is a young college student who is raped one night in a New York park. Unable to process the event, nor find solace in her friends and family, her life begins to crumble, until one day when she makes her way to Manhattan bridge, intending to jump and end her life. She is saved by a stranger named Mike (Ralph Meeker), who initially shows her kindness and takes her into his home. But a few days later, after he returns home inebriated one evening, she is forced to aggressively spurn his advances. When Mary Ann tries to leave, she finds the door is locked. Mike refuses to let her leave, and another cycle of abuse begins.
Something Wild is part psychological study, part claustrophobic thriller. A disconcerting look at the impact of rape that gives way to something equally unsettling and insidious. The depiction of the gradual breakdown of this woman’s life and relationships is difficult to watch, but undeniably engrossing. This first act marks a more traditional narrative before the film shifts into even darker fare, more abstract and intense scenes and interactions to ramp up the sense of a claustrophobic and psychological interplay between these two damaged individuals. Assault gives way to prolonged abuse, and a forever damaged psyche.
Carroll Baker is captivating, excelling in her depiction of this woman who transitions from optimistic college student to shell shocked victim. Likewise, Meeker impressively balances the two aspects of his character, both the sweet, considerate white knight, and the darker captor. His motivations are left largely ambiguous, ensuring the focus remains on Baker and their unnerving sensual connection. In this regard he is the perfect foil in the film’s chronicling of the transformative properties of trauma.
Jack Garfein’s film often resembles a precursor to Polanski’s Repulsion, but most significantly is a reflection of method acting, a style he was such a proponent of. This discipline is further chronicled through the special features of this release, detailed below. It’s a perfect marriage of material and style, discordant and symbolic, punctuated by the intensity of the method approach. There is a madness here perfectly encapsulated by a title sequence courtesy of Saul Bass, and a depiction of New York by German cinematographer Eugen Schüfftan (Metropolis) that make for a film as striking visually, as it is in its narrative and approach.
THE PACKAGE
This release, the result of a new restoration and 2K digital transfer supervised by director Jack Garfein, shows the quality you expect from Criterion. Both interior and exterior scenes, the light and the dark, showcase a wonderfully balanced greyscale, free from any artifacts or defect, impressive detail and no signs of over-processing, retaining an authentic grain. Special features are plentiful:
- New conversation between Garfein and critic Kim Morgan: An interview where the director reflects on making the film, how he was inspired by fellow director Lee Strasberg and other people in the industry while he lived and worked in New York, as well as how he connected with the character of Mary Ann after his own move to America from (what was) Czechoslovakia. It even touches on the collaboration with Saul Bass for the opening credits. Newly recorded for this Criterion release and with a runtime of just under 30 minutes, it’s both a personal and interesting insight into the filmmaker.
- New interview with actor Carroll Baker: A Criterion exclusive, the film’s lead discusses her beginnings in acting as well as her general body of work, spending some time discussing the roles and scenes that involved sexual content and how that was a challenge/opportunity.
- Behind the Method: a new interview with scholar Foster Hirsch on the Actors Studio: TAS was a membership organization for professional actors, theater directors and playwrights situated in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. Attendees include talents such as Anne Bancroft, Al Pacino, Liza Minnelli, Robert Duvall, Eli Wallach, Sidney Lumet , and Robert De Niro. Film scholar Foster Hirsch discusses the importance of this organization with special attention to the influence of the aforementioned Lee Strasburg, who ran it for several decades from 1951, and Garfein himself and his work while being involved. Another Criterion exclusive, it gives new appreciation for this entity as well as how it influenced American cinema.
- Master Class with Jack Garfein: Excerpts from a 2014 recording of one of the director’s renowned sessions, demonstrating and teaching method acting. Lasting around 40 minutes, it spans classes over two days at the Actors Studio and serves as a great example of the technique applied to Something Wild.
- A booklet included with the film details the approach to the restoration, Garfein’s involvement, and an essay by film critic Sheila O’Malley.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Something Wild is a film that tackles a challenging subject with an ending that leaves something of an ill-taste in the mouth. Despite the harshness of this tale, the film charts an undeniably engrossing journey through depression and the psyche of two tortured individuals. An examination of trauma, packaged into an intensely crafted, claustrophobic thriller. This latest Criterion release serves as a wonderful example of method acting with a host of extras to deepen your appreciation for the style as well as the making of this film. Brimming but with so much creativity and talent, both in front of and behind the camera, Something Wild deserves attention.
Something Wild is available from Criterion on Jan 17th, 2017.