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The Public Woman

The Public Woman

Drama · 1984

An inexperienced young actress is invited to play a role in a film based on Dostoyevsky's 'The Possessed'. The film director, a Czech immigrant in Paris, takes over her life, and in a short time she is unable to draw the line between acting and reality. She winds up playing a real-life role posing as the dead wife of another Czech immigrant, who is manipulated by the filmmaker into commiting a political assassination.

Movie details

The Public Woman

1984 Drama 1h 53m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.0 / 10

Community rating

An inexperienced young actress is invited to play a role in a film based on Dostoyevsky's 'The Possessed'. The film director, a Czech immigrant in Paris, takes over her life, and in a short time she is unable to draw the line between acting and reality. She winds up playing a real-life role posing as the dead wife of another Czech immigrant, who is manipulated by the filmmaker into commiting a political assassination.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Public Woman?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Andrzej Żuławski

Written by

Dominique Garnier · Andrzej Żuławski

Valérie Kaprisky

Valérie Kaprisky

Ethel

Francis Huster

Francis Huster

Lucas Kessling

Lambert Wilson

Lambert Wilson

Milan Mliska

Patrick Bauchau

Patrick Bauchau

Ethel's Father

Gisèle Pascal

Gisèle Pascal

Gertrude

Roger Dumas

Roger Dumas

André

D

Diane Delor

Elena Mliska

Court is in session

Put The Public Woman on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.