Something Wild

Jack Garfein's 1961 American film follows what happens to a young woman after she is raped in New York. Mary Ann tells nobody, leaves home and disappears into the city; she then ends up locked in the apartment of a man who believes he has saved her. The film was extremely bold for its time: it treats the assault not as a plot device but as the interruption of a woman's life, and promises no recovery. Eugen Schüfftan's photography and Saul Bass's title design are strong. Its most uncomfortable quality is that the rescuer is also a captor, and the story does not resolve that doubleness. It drew no interest on release. Who it's for: viewers interested in early examples of American independent cinema. Who it's not for: anyone avoiding content involving sexual violence, or wanting a comforting conclusion.