"The Stepford wives" is an adaptation of an Ira Levin novel. Of this writer several books are adapted to the silver screen, of which the most famous is without any doubt "Rosemary's baby" (1968, Roman Polanski).
The story is about a couple (Walter played by Peter Materson and Joanna played by Katharina Ross) moving from Manhattan to the sleeping city of Stepford. Joanna and a few other female newcomers notice that the Stepford women are exceptionally fond of housekeeping and very docile towards their husbands. When the other newcomers turn into typical Stepfords wives overnight one after another Joanna becomes afraid.
There are a couple of themes in "The Stepford wives" that it shares with other famous movies.
The first theme is the fear for losing your emotions and humanity. This theme "The Stepford wives" shares with "Invasion of the body snatchers" (1956, Don Siegel). The scenes in which Joanna's friends are suddenly a very different person look very much like the scene in which the love interest of the main character of "Invasion of the body snatchers" has lost her humanity.
The thread in "Invasion of the body snatchers" came from outer space. Even if one is inclined to see this science fiction movie as a disguised warning against communism, the thread at least comes from abroad. In "The Stepford wives" however the thread comes from within, from the own society. It comes from patriarchal men that believe they "own" their wife (or at least should be owning her). We see this theme of interior power inequality also in "Get out" (2017, Jordan Peele), although this time the power inequality is not between the sexes but between the races. Jordan Peele never made a secret from the fact that "The Stepford wives" was one of his sources of inspiration.
Joanna is undoubtedly the main character of "The Stepford wives", but I would also like to call attention to the character of Walter. In the opening scenes he seems a pretty liberal guy and it is amazing how easily he adapts when he becomes a member of the Steford old boys network. It somehow made me think of the transformation the husband makes in "Not without my daughter" (1991, Brian Gilbert), although in "The Steford wives" there is no religious reason for this transformation, only a gender reason.
To be honest the transformation of Walter is not very believable, taking the consequences for Joanna into account. In "The Stepford wives" the women are substituted and not transformed (using abstract words not to give the plot away). This is one of the weak points in the 1975 version of "The Stepford wives" and is altered in the 2004 version of Frank Oz. Also "Get out" uses transformations in stead of substitutions.
Last but not least I want to call attention to the terrific closing scene. We see Stepford wives (including the recently transformed ones) aimlessly circulating in a supermarket, just like planets in a solar system. Between them is one new not yet transformed woman. There lies a sense of foreboding in this scene, emphasizing the continuity of evil. It was the same foreboding I recently saw in "C'e ancora domani" (2023, Paola Cortellesi) when a woman that fell victim to marital violence sees the first indications in the boyfriend of her daughter.
The continuity message at the end has come true as of 2024. Although this women are no longer called Stepford wives but Tradwives.
The story is about a couple (Walter played by Peter Materson and Joanna played by Katharina Ross) moving from Manhattan to the sleeping city of Stepford. Joanna and a few other female newcomers notice that the Stepford women are exceptionally fond of housekeeping and very docile towards their husbands. When the other newcomers turn into typical Stepfords wives overnight one after another Joanna becomes afraid.
There are a couple of themes in "The Stepford wives" that it shares with other famous movies.
The first theme is the fear for losing your emotions and humanity. This theme "The Stepford wives" shares with "Invasion of the body snatchers" (1956, Don Siegel). The scenes in which Joanna's friends are suddenly a very different person look very much like the scene in which the love interest of the main character of "Invasion of the body snatchers" has lost her humanity.
The thread in "Invasion of the body snatchers" came from outer space. Even if one is inclined to see this science fiction movie as a disguised warning against communism, the thread at least comes from abroad. In "The Stepford wives" however the thread comes from within, from the own society. It comes from patriarchal men that believe they "own" their wife (or at least should be owning her). We see this theme of interior power inequality also in "Get out" (2017, Jordan Peele), although this time the power inequality is not between the sexes but between the races. Jordan Peele never made a secret from the fact that "The Stepford wives" was one of his sources of inspiration.
Joanna is undoubtedly the main character of "The Stepford wives", but I would also like to call attention to the character of Walter. In the opening scenes he seems a pretty liberal guy and it is amazing how easily he adapts when he becomes a member of the Steford old boys network. It somehow made me think of the transformation the husband makes in "Not without my daughter" (1991, Brian Gilbert), although in "The Steford wives" there is no religious reason for this transformation, only a gender reason.
To be honest the transformation of Walter is not very believable, taking the consequences for Joanna into account. In "The Stepford wives" the women are substituted and not transformed (using abstract words not to give the plot away). This is one of the weak points in the 1975 version of "The Stepford wives" and is altered in the 2004 version of Frank Oz. Also "Get out" uses transformations in stead of substitutions.
Last but not least I want to call attention to the terrific closing scene. We see Stepford wives (including the recently transformed ones) aimlessly circulating in a supermarket, just like planets in a solar system. Between them is one new not yet transformed woman. There lies a sense of foreboding in this scene, emphasizing the continuity of evil. It was the same foreboding I recently saw in "C'e ancora domani" (2023, Paola Cortellesi) when a woman that fell victim to marital violence sees the first indications in the boyfriend of her daughter.
The continuity message at the end has come true as of 2024. Although this women are no longer called Stepford wives but Tradwives.