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6.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Wild Girl remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for 1930s dramas that feel like they were pulled straight from a dusty attic, then sure, pull up a chair. If you need your movies to move fast or have modern pacing, you’re going to be bored to tears within twenty minutes.
It’s a simple story, really. Joan Bennett plays Salomy Jane, and she has this way of looking at the camera that makes you think she knows exactly how silly the script is. She’s definitely the best thing about the whole mess.
The scenery is supposed to be the rugged California mountains, but it feels like a soundstage that forgot to hide its seams. Every time someone walks into a scene, you can almost see the studio lights reflecting off the fake pine trees. It gives the movie a weird, dreamlike quality that I didn’t hate.
There’s this moment when a character is running from the law, and he hides in the brush. The "brush" is clearly three potted plants pushed together. I giggled. You can’t help it.
The men chasing Salomy are all varying shades of 'gruff' and 'annoying.' You’ve got the local town guys who seem to think they own the place, and then you have the outlaws who are just trying to keep their heads down. It’s a weird dynamic.
I found myself wondering if Salomy would just be better off moving to the city and forgetting the whole lot of them. Ralph Bellamy shows up, and he’s doing that thing where he plays the heavy-handed suitor with such commitment it’s almost impressive.
It’s not a masterpiece, and it doesn't try to be. It’s just a movie about a girl in the mountains, some bad guys, and a lot of talking. Sometimes that's enough for a rainy Tuesday night. 🤠