Movie Review: 7 Women

I have recently just watched John Ford's final film "7 Women" on TCM this afternoon, and I feel compelled to write about it. This is indeed one last great film from one great filmmaker, and perhaps his darkest one ever.

The story takes place in China circa 1935 in a christian mission. It is run by a stern head mistress (Margaret Leighton) who runs everything within the christian way of life. She has high hopes for one of her assistants the young Emma Clark (Sue Lyon)to follow the way of God. The mistresses affection for Emma reaches to a somewhat sexual frustration.

All is not well in the mission, the lone male missionary (Eddie Albert) has a middle aged wife who is ready to give birth, and there is talk of a villainous Chinese bandit who may be coming in their direction. The mistress is convinced they are safe as they are American citizens and are protected by the Chinese army.

Soon, a doctor arrives on the scene, however while they were expecting a man, it turns out to be a tough independent woman named Cartwright (Anne Bancroft in one of her greatest roles.) Cartwright is established right away as someone the head mistress would clash with, she's an atheist, she's cynical, and she doesn't follow orders. However when a plague breaks out in the mission, it is Cartwright who stays rational through it all, even as people begin to die, and some of the missionaries begin to question their faith.

"7 Women" isn't a routine picture, by the sound of it, you may find it to be a clash of ideals between two strong willed women, and by the end you might think they come to an understanding, and accept the other for who they are. However, Ford has different plans, he has chosen at the beginning who's side he's on, as the film begins to focus more on Bancroft's character, and soon Leighton's once stern and sacred missionary becomes a sick-minded religious zealot who condemns her, even as the other woman look to her for strength.

Bancroft's Cartwright represents a change in shift in Ford, many of his film dealt with religion and christian belief as a form of comfort, and many of his heroes kept to that ethic. "7 Women" was Ford's last film, and is a departure in many ways. He chooses to focus on women, but also people who become disillusioned with their faith, they have seen horrors, and things beyond their control, the film makes a bold move for its time by choosing an atheist as the heroine to a bunch of Christians.

By this time, Ford was an older man, he had lived through two wars, and by the time this film was made, Vietnam was at its height. His other masterpiece made around this time was "The Man who Shot Liberty Valance", about the death of the west, and the rise of a new civilization. Ford must've felt his time was ending, and a new generation had taken control. "7 Women" is a very angry film, but there is still grace in it, this time Ford sees it in the sacrifice of others rather than in the divine. The final image should be remembered as well as that of "The Searchers", it's use of composition and light is remarkable.

Let's not forget Ford was a master of using space within the frame, "7 Women" was shot in a widescreen format, and is mostly made up of great master shots, and very rarely does he move in for a close-up. It has been said that Japanese master Akira Kurosawa was a great admirer of Ford, and in this film, I think the feeling was mutual, The way the women stand outside in front of their temple, or the art direction of the mission itself evokes scenes from "Yojimbo" or "Seven Samurai",(perhaps even the title of this film is a reference to the latter.)

Ford was America's greatest cinematic poet, and in this film, he shows he has lost none of his skills for depicting tender, and brutal moments using just the image.

"7 Women" shows a director who was perhaps very angry and cynical in the end, but he never lost his sense of grace, it's a film that shows much horror, but also the strength of what human beings can overcome.