Directed by the incredible Maria Schrader and starring the powerful Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, and Patricia Clarkson, this year saw the release of She Said (2022). Tackling the journalistic might of these New York Times reporters, this film takes a quiet approach to the tale of the successful take down of the notorious sexual predator Harvey Weinstein. As I'm sure you can tell, this is a really tough story to watch - if you think reading this will have a negative or triggering impact on you then please skip this review, I will see you again another time.
This is a story that, in essence, has already been told. By that I mean that we all know that after a long and difficult fight, Harvey Weinstein was punished for his crimes. The thing with this film is that the focus of the entire thing is not on Harvey himself, but on the women around him - those who were victims of his abuse, and also those who worked tirelessly with those women to finally bring him down. For me, it feels very important that that is where the focus lies. In the same way that films about serial killers often fetishise the killer themselves, I believe it would be very out of touch to focus on Harvey instead of the people around the entire scandal who worked to unravel it. Perhaps it's actually more important that this story highlights that plethora of people and systems in place that allowed Harvey Weinstein to carry on doing what he did for so long unpunished.
"The only way these women are going to go on the record. Is if they all jump together." - She Said (2022)
There are lots of lenses through which this film could be anaylsed, but here I want to focus on the way that the strength of tired women working together is shown to be able to take down arguably biggest of the big. Looking specifically at the central Megan (Mulligan) and and Jodi (Kazan), there is a real sense of quiet exhaustion that eminates from both of their life stories. We are privy to moments of their personal lives and see their struggles as mothers to their children, their balance of work and home lives.
There is real effort spent showing us that these women - demonstrative of so many women's lives - are soft, and tired, and doing their absolute best to manage the stresses of everyday live as a modern woman. Despite these slower moments of difficulty, both journalists are also unrelenting in their fight for justice on behalf of the women who came forward against Weinstein. These are 'normal' women doing their everyday jobs, but they are also incredible and infinitely robust women. The two spend a lot of time listening to horror-stories from victims, but they are still delicately sensitive to the desires of these women to stay silent and anonymous on their experiences.
These two figurehead journalists are used in this film as a safe space for the telling of stories of abuse that are so vital to the downfall of Weinstein. They are supported by a team who believe in them and believe in their work. I really believe this film demonstrates the domino impact of validation, acceptance, and encouragement. These women who never have been able to tell their stories without the support of Jodi and Megan. But Jodi and Megan would never have been able to support them without themselves being held by their superiors at the New York Times. Here, we come to look at the role of media and journalism in stories of scandal and in going after those who are otherewise protected from the consequences of their actions.
I truly respect that while focusing on the women surrounding the scandal (both those who experienced it personally, and those who worked to bring it to the public), this film also takes a significantly strong stance on the responsibility of media to the general public. There is acknowledgement of the systems in place that protect people like Harvey Weinstein, and a big emphasis made on the responsibility of journalists to deconstruct and report on these systems that brush these crimes under the rug and encourage the payment of settlements and the hushing of 'trouble' for big names like Weinstein.
She Said (2022) is not only a soft and beautifully delicate show of the utterly unrelenting drive and passion of tired women, but also a bold and clear statement that the media is, and should be, responsible for unveiling damaging structures in society.
To me, this is a theme and message that transcends the bounds of the film itself and makes a statement on the landscape of contemporary media itself. Some people people there is a line to which journalism should be able to dig into places that are 'meant' to remain secretive, while others are passionate that journalists do good work in digging relentlessly for the truth. This film is not only a soft and beautifully delicate show of the utterly unrelenting drive and passion of tired women, but also a bold and clear statement that the media is, and should be, responsible for unveiling damaging structures in society.
Having watched this film with only a handful of others in a little screen in Peckhamplex, Peckham, I would really encourage you to take the time to see this film if you get the chance and feel able to. I already feel like it's not getting the limelight that it deserves, but mostly just for your individual experience and opinion I think She Said is a really important film.
Until next time,
Alice x
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