A Woman Under the Influence
John Cassavetes · 1974
John Cassavetes’ 1974 drama follows Mabel Longhetti, a Los Angeles housewife whose behaviour grows increasingly erratic, straining her marriage and triggering her involuntary commitment. Starring Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk, it was independently financed, shot on location with non-professional actors, and edited from a three-hour cut to 155 minutes. Its power lies in sustained, unflinching observation — not psychological exposition — rendering mental distress as lived, domestic, and profoundly relational.
