Wanda [Criterion Collection]

Wanda (Barbara Loden) is the divorced mother of two who leaves her family. Uneducated and with no apparent skills, she also suffers from a inferiority complex. A part time job isn't enough to earn a living, and her money is stolen when she goes to the movies. Wanda walks into a robbery in progress in a bar where Dennis (Michael Higgins) takes her as a hostage. The two engages in a series of robberies after he steals a car. Wanda watches as Dennis is gunned down by the police but she manages to escape. She drifts into a sleazy bar where she finally realizes she must resort to prostitution in order to survive in this depressing tragedy of social and economic contrast.