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Woman of Straw

Woman of Straw

Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1964

Anthony Richmond schemes to get the fortune of his tyrannical, wheelchair-using tycoon uncle Charles Richmond by persuading Maria, a nurse he employs, to marry him.

Movie details

Woman of Straw

“It's so easy to set fire to a...”

1964 Crime · Drama · Thriller 2h 2m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.2 / 10

Community rating

Anthony Richmond schemes to get the fortune of his tyrannical, wheelchair-using tycoon uncle Charles Richmond by persuading Maria, a nurse he employs, to marry him.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Woman of Straw?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Cleve Marshall, an assistant district attorney, falls for Thelma Jordon, a mysterious woman with a troubled past. When Thelma becomes a suspect in her aunt's murder, Cleve tries to clear her name.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Basil Dearden

Written by

Stanley Mann · Robert Muller

Gina Lollobrigida

Gina Lollobrigida

Maria Marcello

Sean Connery

Sean Connery

Anthony Richmond

Ralph Richardson

Ralph Richardson

Charles Richmond

Alexander Knox

Alexander Knox

Detective Inspector Lomer

Johnny Sekka

Johnny Sekka

Thomas

Peter Madden

Peter Madden

Yacht Captain

Danny Daniels

Danny Daniels

Fenton

Court is in session

Put Woman of Straw on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.