Cassavetes' intentional cross-pollination of personalities often invites a collapse of bodily space. People argue, wrestle, and pile heavily onto beds. Nick holds Mabel, hits her. His characters hover near one another, waiting. Yet they attack too soon, like trigger-happy soldiers during the first battle. Their heightened state of ambush affects the emotional and physical equilibrium of the film, producing a near-constant sense of vertigo for both the characters and the viewer. Members of the Longhetti family demonstrate a sense of entitlement over one another (and especially over Mabel) as if each has the absolute and undeniable right to invade the others' personhood at will. Earlier this evening, I came across a paper I wrote for a graduate seminar back in 2006, a tender moment in time when I still fancied myself a Real Academic (in training, at least). "Just Like A Woman: Space and Subjecthood in John Cassavetes' 'A Woman Under the Influence'" is its somewhat embarrassing—OK, completely, Dylan, hi— title. My intention at the time was to shape this text into a proper article or some such—because really, there hasn't been that much strong critical writing published on Cassavetes' work, no joke! Instead, I'll post one convoluted excerpt here, thus dutifully contributing to the Cassavetes meme that seems to be cropping up on Tumblr. Also, to the greater point: while my knowledge of film, broadly speaking, is by no means encyclopedic, A Woman Under the Influence poses the most extraordinarily difficult-to-watch depiction of mental illness—and, moreover, the cultural interpolation of women as harbingers of illness because dude, Mabel actually isn't the crazy one in this film—that I've yet seen. In fact, I'm not so sure that Tumblr can handle a Cassavetes meme. Gina Rowlands will slay your hearts, people. No log lady, here!
