I’ve tried to write here about Dolores Claiborne (1995) without including any spoilers. But as we get to the end of this essay, we gotta talk about the end of the film.
What really sets this film apart from its contemporaries is that while the ending is satisfying, its resolution is one where the two main characters are still broken like they were at the start, only slightly less worse.
A common trope in Hollywood character-driven dramas is to have the main character, usually a man, who is oblivious to the impact of his actions and who leaves a trail of destruction wherever he goes. At the end of the film he’s able to see the error of his ways and change (typically against the backdrop of a large, dramatic event) – like Tootsie (1982) or Flight (2012). Even A Few Good Men (1992).
The change is large and suggested to be permanent. Hooray! Our flawed but likeable protagonist is cured! Everything is good!
In Dolores Claiborne (1995), Selena and Delores are victims of boring old patriarchy. The scene in the bank illustrates this perfectly.
– Structural/economic – Dolores could not open a bank account without her husband co-signing
– Gender norms/social – she (rightly) gets upset but she has to lower her voice to have her complaint even heard by the manager.
– Power Dynamics/Classism – she’s a woman, just one of the poors, at the mercy of whatever the bank manager decides. She has to resort to special pleading to even have a chance.
The forces that keep Selena and Dolores permanently on the back foot are the same ones that enable the aforementioned leading men. So at the end of our story, after making landfall, Hurricane Patriarchy continues inland, never losing power. Our characters survive with small, positive changes and some hope, but they’re still broken and surrounded by destruction.
Die Hard Three 
Leave a comment