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Poster for The Public Woman

The Public Woman

Seen it?

1984 | 113 min | Drama

Weeknight Watchearly rating

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With little lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. If you loved Wag the Dog, start here.
The mood
Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 53 min.
What might put you off
It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).

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.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsNot counted

    Not enough reviews on record yet

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsBelow par

    0 wins and 2 nominations from smaller awards and festivals

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 15K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Andrzej Żuławski

  • Valérie KapriskyEthel
  • Francis HusterLucas Kessling
  • Lambert WilsonMilan Mliska
  • Patrick BauchauEthel's Father
  • Gisèle PascalGertrude
  • Roger DumasAndré
  • Diane DelorElena Mliska
  • Jean-Paul FarréPierre
  • Olivier Achard1st Assistant Director
  • Yveline AilhaudRachel