Film vs Film
Select two cult films to compare side by side.
A Wicked Woman Synopsis
Naomi is almost to term with her fourth child when Ed decides to leave taking all their money and the oldest son Curtis. With the sheriff after him, he is in no mood to think of his family. When he struggles with Naomi, he is killed. Naomi dumps his body out in the swamp and keeps tells no one. She then moves to town and finds works. When the sheriff comes lookin' for Ed, she moves to Waldo and changes her last name. She starts sewing at home and eventually has her own shop called 'Naomi's'. She is tough on the kids, but loving, to make them strong as she promises herself that she will one day go back and stand trial for what happened to Ed. When the kids are of age, and all have good jobs, she finds that she has fallen in love with a newspaperman named Naylor. Circumstances then conspire to make her take that train ride back.
Babette Synopsis
Babette is living with her father, the jailer and hangman in the castle-jail at La Fourche. Raveau, a criminal, comes to the castle and meets her. Her sweetness and purity cause him to realize his form of life is an empty shell. He even restores a necklace purloined from a tourist. Later he and Babette realize their love for each other. Their wedding is celebrated with much pomp. Guinard, a detective, turns up. Realizing his danger, Raveau convinces his wife that their friends are planning to separate them, and gets her to escape with him. They elude Guinard. In Montmartre, Raveau and Babette are like two doves. He again takes up art. But his work is not up to date and he finds the purse growing slimmer. When Babette shyly confesses that there will be another mouth to feed, and that she has given much of their store to Fifine, a "Quarter" girl, whose husband is just coming from prison, Raveau realizes how desperate is his need. He tries once more to sell his wares, without success. An appeal to an old partner brings a turn-down. Raveau then steals banknotes from a man in the post office. Guinard turns up after the baby is born. Without letting Babette know of his crime, Raveau parts from her, saying he has a commission which may take him away for a long time, but in the Commissionaire's office he learns his prosecutor is the husband of a woman to whom he had restored the money won at a gaming salon just before his marriage. The man refuses to recognize Raveau as the thief and he returns to Babette to say he has passed up the commission and will stay with her always, and Babette is happy in her husband's love, ignorant of his sacrifice for her.
"A Wicked Woman" holds a slight edge in general audience appreciation, but "Babette" offers its own unique cult appeal.
Suggested Watch:
A Wicked Woman