Directed by:
Bryan ForbesScreenplay:
William GoldmanCinematography:
Owen RoizmanComposer:
Michael SmallCast:
Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Peter Masterson, Nanette Newman, Tina Louise, William Prince, Patrick O'Neal, Carole Mallory, Josef Sommer (more)Plots(1)
Joanna Eberhart has come to the quaint little town of Stepford, Connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior of the female residents. (official distributor synopsis)
Reviews (4)
A film that initially seems like a fairly nice story about a family moving, gradually, through individual situations, transforms into something really terrifying, culminating in its finale, which is beautifully pessimistic. This is a great example of how you can make a horror film without having any overtly scary moments.
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As I stated in the review of the remake, I haven't read the book yet, which is a shame because it is undoubtedly an interesting work that is perfect for a film adaptation. I may seem like a weirdo, but contrary to the opinion of the majority of film fans, I actually liked the remake more. The modern version can rightfully be criticized for many shortcomings, but the overall concept seems more substantial and functional to me. The subject matter itself calls for satire and comedy. The original version tried to balance between sci-fi, horror, and thriller, but the film has clearly aged. It doesn't work as sci-fi or horror at all and although it functions as a thriller, it's only from the scene of the protagonist's visit to the psychiatrist to the finale, which is about 20 minutes out of the total runtime, and I think that's not enough for a rating higher than two stars. It's too static and I saw unused potential everywhere. It would have been perhaps better to use the original source as a kind of allegory and leave the viewer uncertain until the last shot about what is actually happening in that town and whether Joanna is just succumbing to a certain paranoia. The film has aged partly because the problem of gender conflict and the effort for emancipation has moved on since the 70s, although it hasn't disappeared and has just taken on a different form. Nowadays, we have the phenomenon of successful self-centered egotists who can manage quite well without men, as evidenced by many American TV series and films. In many industries and environments, men are clearly on the defensive these days. Overall impression: 45%.
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The difficult lives of American suburban housewives was apparently the object of a biting screenwriting joke long before Desperate Housewives appeared on television screens. The familiar confrontation between progressive urban women and strait-laced suburban ladies has an unexpected outcome. The final removal of all pretence is preceded by a no less interesting yet very slow removal of masks. The Stepford Wives is primarily a well-made satire on soap-operatic behaviour and thinking. Something terrifying must necessarily be concealed under the suspiciously perfect skin. After my experience with Rosemary’s Baby, I would guess that the source work in this case capably straddles the line between reality and the protagonist’s paranoia – the caustic ending struck me as needlessly literal. 70%
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Horror movie of the Year.
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