Wanda • The Next Reel

The Next Reel Film Podcast

“I don’t have anything. Never did have anything. Never will have anything.”
The Tale of Barbara Loden's Unsung Masterpiece

In the late 1960s, actress Barbara Loden came across a newspaper article about a woman on trial for bank robbery who thanked the judge for her sentence. Perplexed by what could drive a woman to such a point, Loden crafted a story that would become her sole feature film, Wanda. Despite being married to acclaimed director Elia Kazan, Loden struggled to get the film made, eventually scraping together a meager budget and shooting on 16mm. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue the One-and-Done series with a conversation about Wanda.

A Portrait of Aimlessness and Apathy in Rural America

On the surface, Wanda may seem like a bleak and meandering character study, but it's precisely those qualities that make it such a fascinating film. We dive into Loden's raw, cinema verité-style approach to storytelling, which eschews traditional Hollywood structure in favor of a more naturalistic portrayal of its titular character's directionless existence. From her passive acceptance of a divorce that leaves her children in the care of their father to her listless drift into a life of crime with a small-time thief, Wanda's journey is one of quiet desperation and longing for purpose.

Throughout our discussion, we grapple with the film's deliberate pacing, sparse cinematography, and lack of a traditional character arc. While Pete finds the film's unrelenting bleakness and Wanda's apparent lack of agency challenging, Andy argues that the film's power lies in its unflinching portrayal of a marginalized woman's experience.

Wanda may not be an easy watch, but it remains a powerful and uncompromising portrait of a woman adrift in a world that offers her little in the way of hope or purpose. Barbara Loden's singular vision and commitment to telling an untold story make this a film that demands to be seen and discussed. Despite our differing reactions to the film, we both agree that Wanda is a work of undeniable importance and a testament to Loden's talent as a filmmaker. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

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