The Rain People

Francis Ford Coppola, 1969

This is a rather original ethical-psychological film with strong themes in responsibility, independence and empathy. This road movie succeeds in capturing with very beautiful cinematography and highly original and unpredictable plot twists. The film touched me very much through the choices of the protagonist that depict her high empathy and frail concept of self. Having escaped from her possessive husband (who seems just like her father shown early in the film) she ends up in situations in which her caring nature needs to struggle with her determination to reach independence. She externalizes her self-hatred for her inability to control herself reasonably with hatred and cruelty but soon regrets. Her character well depicts different female sides and is superbly acted by Shirley Knight. In the film we also see James Caan and Robert Duvall familiar from 'The Godfather'.