Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Mad Women’s Ball’ On Amazon Prime Video, A Breathtaking Psychological Period Drama Set In A Women’s Mental Asylum

When we see women depicted on screen in French period dramas, they’re usually some kind of royalty or prostitutes, often relegated to the sidelines in men’s stories (when they’re not being beheaded for whatever supposed crime they’ve committed). In The Mad Women’s Ball, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, we’re introduced to a world where women and their unjust mistreatment take center stage, and the result is something deeply memorable and moving. 

THE MAD WOMEN’S BALL: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Eugénie Cléry (Lou de Laâge) doesn’t always do what she’s told; when we first encounter her, she’s attending the crowd-filled Paris funeral of author Victor Hugo, though she lies about this later when asked by her father. She’s close with her brother, Théophile (Benjamin Voisin), and he’s the only one in the family who knows her secret – that she communicates with spirits After being gifted a book about spirits by a charming young man at a café (César Domboy, who you might recognize from Outlander), she realizes she’s not alone in her beliefs. Unfortunately, after another round of fits in front of her brother and grandmother, her father decides to institutionalize her against her will.

At the Salpêtrière, Eugénie finds herself surrounded by women diagnosed with hysteria and other various “illnesses”, and quickly befriends another young woman named Louise (Lomane de Dietrich). These women are subjected to horrifying forms of “therapy” day after day; bloodletting, hydrotherapy, isolation, magnet therapy, and “hypnosis” for a large group of men conducted by the man in charge, Dr. Charcot (Grégoire Bonnet). One bright light in this devastating dark experience comes from head nurse Geneviève (Mélanie Laurent), who genuinely believes she’s doing something good and soon finds herself convinced by Eugénie’s gifts. She wants to do right by these women, and slowly begins to see the truth about the work she’s doing.

As the women all continue to suffer at the hands of these men (and one particularly sadistic nurse named Jeanne), they also prepare for the “ball”, a cruel public event that allows spectators the chance to come and gawk at the “madwomen” all dressed up. It’s here that everything we’ve seen comes to a head in tense, thrilling fashion – and what’s left behind may decide the fate of the women we’ve come to know and love.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The Mad Woman’s Ball sometimes feels like a feminist take on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but there’s so much more to it than that. It may evoke other period dramas like Les Misérables and even Dance of the 41 at times.

Performance Worth Watching: Lou de Laâge really is breathtaking as leading lady Eugénie, bringing depth and heartache to moments that might feel soapy or unconvincing in the hands of less subtle performers. de Laâge is a star through-and-through, easily holding her own opposite some of the film’s bigger stars – including director and star Laurent – and serving as an affecting and mesmerizing anchor for the film as a whole. She’s had quite the career in France, but I have high hopes that The Mad Women’s Ball‘s wide-reaching Amazon release will mean we’ll be seeing a lot more of her in the near future.

Memorable Dialogue: I got full body chills when Louise, suffering after another round of hypnosis, begs Eugénie to tell her what’s happening to her and Eugénie responds by addressing the group of men who have been experimenting on her: “You’re what’s happening to her.” The simplicity of the line combined with Lou de Laâge’s devastating delivery really drives it home.

Sex and Skin: Eugénie and other women are stripped down upon their arrival to the asylum and for inhumane “therapy” treatments, and women bathe in the depressing communal washroom.

Our Take: From the moment we catch a glimpse of the back of Eugénie’s head in the crowd at Victor Hugo’s massive funeral, it’s clear we’re in for something special. The Mad Women’s Ball wastes no time flooding the screen with vivid images, images that only help to romance us viewers as we’re introduced to the dazzling cast of performers. Mélanie Laurent pulls triple duty as director, writer, and performer, accomplishing something genuinely magical in the process. The Mad Women’s Ball isn’t just a story about one woman’s agony, but about the collective and individual traumas of a group of women wrongfully institutionalized.

The film has its share of barbaric, hard-to-watch scenes at the asylum, but it’s also full of little joys, moments that allow each of these women to have their own stories rather than simply serving as a backdrop for Eugénie’s story. It’s this approach that makes The Mad Women’s Ball such a successful venture, even when it’s heavy-handed. This is melodrama at its best. Because each of these ladies are depicted with such sensitivity and care, the more violent and upsetting sequences never feel exploitative (like they often do in other period dramas).

By telling the horror stories of the very real Salpêtrière asylum and weaving in the interpersonal relationships between Geneviève and Eugénie and the rest of the patients, The Mad Women’s Ball pulls off an enchanting (if often disturbing) balancing act. This is a uniquely feminist work, one that both gives women a platform to tell their stories and also examines the toxic complicity of other women. Beautifully performed, thoughtfully filmed (Laurent’s repeated use of a handful of visual motifs proves effective), and narratively compelling, Amazon should be proud to call The Mad Women’s Ball its first French original feature. It’s truly something special.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Rather than rehashing the tired, misogynist tales we often see from this period, The Mad Women’s Ball puts a sensitive spotlight on the women scorned by history and tells a story rich in drama, style, and substance.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines, hogging the mic at karaoke, and thirst-tweeting. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.

Watch The Mad Women's Ball on Amazon Prime