“Frozen River” (Courtney Hunt, US 2008)

frozen-river

Director: Courtney Hunt
Writer: Courtney Hunt
Actors: Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, Charlie McDermott

A feminine world from which the masculine is exiled at the fringe.
A world of women and children showing the universality and interchangeability of motherhood.
A multifaceted world on which it is as treacherous to tread as on a frozen river…

“Parched” (Leena Yadav, India 2015)

parched

Director: Leena Yadav
Writers: Supratik Sen (dialogue), Leena Yadav
Actors: Tannishtha Chatterjee, Radhika Apte, Lehar Khan

Domestic violence, honor, infertility, prostitution, child marriage, rape… These themes are treated in a traditional gender setting in Rajasthan.

The message of the movie is straightforward: while most men drink, commit adultery, are jealous and violent, women have fun, bring changes… and are at least as sexualized as their male counterparts.

“The Unfaithful” (Vincent Sherman, US 1947)

the-unfaithfu

Director: Vincent Sherman
Writers: David Goodis (original screenplay), James Gunn (original screenplay)
Actors: Ann Sheridan, Lew Ayres, Zachary Scott

Same year, same director, same actress, same infidelity theme as precedent movie (Nora Prentiss) but this one with a more traditional approach. As in Nora Prentiss, a film noir with no real bad guy (or bad girl), except for the greedy Martin Barrow (Steven Gearey).

Eve Arden steals the show, a feminine counterpart to George Sanders.