john cassavetes 1977 film open night be and what critic usually call the work of such a significant artist and overlook . it be an excellent film and in it own right and and one of the best portrait of a midlife crisis ever put to film . it not a perfect film and in that and at two hour and twenty four minute it about a half hour too long and and there a bit too much emphasis on the drunkenness of the lead character myrtle gordon and play by gena rowlands and the wife of cassavetes and long after we have get the point . but only woody allen masterpiece and another woman and which also star rowlands and eleven year later and be a good portrait of the internal conflict of an age woman . yet and rowlands do win the best actress award at the berlin film festival for this portrayal and and it be well deserve . often this film and write by cassavetes and be easily compare to his early and inferior film and a woman under the influence and but it a spurious comparison . rowlands character in that film be severely mentally disturb from the start and as well a come from a blue collar background and while her character in this film and in allen film be both artist who be haunt by apparition . in this film it the ghost of a dead young woman who can be see a myrtle young doppelganger and while in allen film it her character own past . many critic have take this film to be a portrait of an alcoholic and see myrtle surround herself with enablers and such a a stage manager who tell her and during open night and i have see a lot of drunk in my time and but i have never see anyone as drunk a you who could stand up . youre great . and but this be wrong and for alcohol isn not her problem nor be her chain smoking . they be merely diversion from whatever thing be really compel her to her own destruction and and much to cassavetes credit and a a storyteller and he never let u find out exactly what wrong with myrtle and and despite her come through in the end and there no reason to expect that she have really resolve anything of consequence . this sort of end without resolution link cassavetes directly with the more daring european director of the recent past and who be comfortable in not reveal everything to an audience and and force their viewer to cogitate and even if it hurt . yet and the film recapitulate perfectly the effect of a drunk or fever lift out of the fog and and a such the viewer again be subliminally involve in it drama . whether or not myrtle gordon do recover and after the film universe iris about her be leave for each and every viewer to decide and and a we have see before that lid close and one choice do matter .