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The Burning Bed

The Burning Bed

Crime · Drama · TV Movie · 1984

An abused battered wife has had enough of husband beating up on her. Everywhere she turns for help, there's not much anyone will do. After he rapes her one night, she sets the bed on fire with him in it asleep.

Movie details

The Burning Bed

“He didn't know how to stop it... she did.”

1984 Crime · Drama · TV Movie 1h 40m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.9 / 10

Community rating

An abused battered wife has had enough of husband beating up on her. Everywhere she turns for help, there's not much anyone will do. After he rapes her one night, she sets the bed on fire with him in it asleep.

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 The Burning Bed?

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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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Robert Greenwald

Written by

Rose Leiman Goldemberg

Farrah Fawcett

Farrah Fawcett

Francine Hughes

Paul Le Mat

Paul Le Mat

Mickey Hughes

Richard Masur

Richard Masur

Aryon Greydanus

Grace Zabriskie

Grace Zabriskie

Flossie Hughes

Penelope Milford

Penelope Milford

Gaby

Christa Denton

Christa Denton

Christy, Age 12

James T. Callahan

James T. Callahan

Berlin Hughes

Court is in session

Put The Burning Bed on trial.

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

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“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.