North Country

4.5 Stars

If Charlize Theron is hungry for another Oscar, her solid performance as Josie Aimes in Niki Caro’s profound “North Country” just might sate her appetite. But that’s not to say that the film is just a vehicle for Theron’s advancement—she just happens to be the driver of an extremely successful social commentary.

Three Oscar-winning leading ladies—Charlize Theron, recently off her “Monster” Oscar win, Sissy Spacek (1980 winner for “Coal Miner’s Daughter), and Frances McDormand (for 1996’s “Fargo”)—lead the cast of “Country,” which is based on the true story of the first sexual harassment class-action lawsuit.

However, “Country” is able to avoid the formulaic structure of based-on-true-story legal dramas through its strong performances and innovative screenwriting. As the narrative oscillates between the protagonist’s heartbreaking personal story and an intense courtroom battle for justice, the tension and drama engulfs the audience.

Josie Aimes (Theron) is a hard-pressed mother of two who returns home after her failed marriage. Her mother, Alice Aimes (Spacek), simply cannot understand why the couple couldn’t make it work, despite Josie’s retort, “He beat me more than once and more than lightly.”

Unable to support herself and her children on a meager hairdresser’s salary, Josie begins working at Pearson Taconite, the iron mine of Northern Minnesota. The work is hard, the men are merciless—they call the female employees “cunts”—and the women are expected “to take it like a man.”

Caro effectively and devastatingly represents the brutality of the atmosphere: the horrible behavior becomes literally nauseating. It’s almost impossible to believe that grown men commit intimidating juvenility like tossing around a port-a-potty while a female worker is inside.

To make matters worse, Josie has no support. Her female co-workers refuse to demand change, despite the daily blow- job jokes, name calling, and sporadic dildos in their lunch boxes. Even her best friend Glory (McDormand), who recommended the job in the first place, grows cold and defensive when Josie starts to rock the boat with complaints.

Most devastating, however, are the strained familial relationships. In such hard times, one would expect the family to be a source of support. No help comes from Josie’s father, Hank Aimes (Richard Jenkins), who is still angry about his daughter’s pregnancy at 16 and her unfeminine occupation, or her confused mother.

It is not a flattering picture: while Alice complacently turns a blind eye to the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas sexual harassment case, she defends her daughter to the best of her capacity.

Caro succeeds in making a thoroughly complex film, so multifaceted that this review barely covers half of the issues and questions presented. Caro’s masterful direction is evident as every actor reaches and breaks an emotional ceiling.

Throughout scenes of brutal rape, emotional confrontation with her unwanted son, and strained relationships with her female co-workers, Theron creates an indelibly affecting portrayal of a woman struggling with oppression wherever she turns.

The somber plaintive country music with lingering lyrics, including “Don’t want to shoot nobody, don’t want to get shot” provides the perfect soundscape for vast overhead shots of the iron mine’s barren snow-covered setting. The cinematography and soundtrack crystallize to form a tangible oppression, convincing the audience why this woman made these historic choices.

The relevance of the female struggle in a male-dominated workplace can not be refuted, particularly when considering how much of a stranglehold men still have over workplace conditions. The controversy over University President Laurence H. Summers’ comments on the innate differences between men and women brought these questions even closer to home.

As long as sex is used as a tool to control, exploit, deny, and dirty women, no woman or man should or could turn a blind eye to this film. Despite how far we think we may have come, the truth is that it can happen to you; it can be your mother, your sister, or even your daughter, and you may have no choice but to stand up as Theron’s Josie does.