I’ve been avoiding this film because I knew it would make me angry. Guess what? It made me angry. As Ann points out, we spend a lot of time criticizing Arab countries for their treatment of women – how about how women are treated right here in the West? These “Magdalene Laundries” existed in Ireland until 1996!!!! If you don’t know the story, basically, “fallen girls” (victims of rape or unwed mothers or orphans who were too pretty for their own good) were sent to, essentially, concentration camps. Here they were fed and clothed, yes, but also beaten, psychologically abused and forced to work as slaves for the Catholic Church’s profit. Until they died or until a family member came to get them. But seeing as how it was their family that sent them there in the first place, that wasn’t very likely. Anyway, the film is so upsetting it made me want to vomit — I think I was actually shouting at my TV for a while. The only moment of levity (a scene taken directly from “Revenge of the Nerds,” oddly enough) lasts about three seconds before it collapses on itself to become even more tragic. If you feel your blood pressure it too low, see this movie. There are scenes that you’ll be convinced are out of science fiction like “The Handmaid’s Tale” or at least from a generally accepted terror government from, say, “The Gulag Archipeligo.” But not quite. Apart from being horrible and shocking it is very well made and the performances are absolutely terrific. The opening sequence (at the wedding celebration, after the rape) is like a fabulous five minute silent film set to some stunning traditional Irish music.
