With Todd Haynes? lengthy HBO adaptation of James M. Cain?s ?Mildred Pierce? premiering last night, it occurred to me that I had never seen Michael Curtiz?s classic 1945 film starring Joan Crawford as the titular mama. So I remedied this just before watching parts 1 & 2 of the miniseries. I wouldn?t recommend doing this, though, as Haynes? version drags like molasses when seen immediately after the neatly compacted older film. Then again, it also makes you better appreciate the still-awful Ann Blyth, because the precocious actress Morgan Turner is downright excruciating as the young Veda in the newer work.
I do like the 1945 film, as much as I like classic movies in general, as much as I like having TCM on in the background in my office, but I don?t love it. And I guess this makes ?Mildred Pierce? qualify for the discussion Dan prompted earlier on what films we should love but just don?t. Not that the film has the necessary making of a movie that I should love. I?m not a big fictional drama kind of guy to begin with, but maternal melodramas are really not my cup of tea.
Still, Curtiz?s version, as adapted by Ranald MacDougall (who received an Oscar nomination for the screenplay), with uncredited contribution from William Faulkner and Catherine Turney, features all the conventions I?m fond of in other films of the era (and some stereotypes I can do without, like the cough-as-foreshadowing-death cliche), particularly its structuring the story as a narrated flashback following a death. And as a mash up of the film noir and woman?s film genres, it is a great success. There?s certainly no reason to fault it for being familiar and predictable.
Nor should I really criticize Crawford solely on the basis that I prefer her later, campier and crazier performances. If I don?t consider her Oscar-winning work here as powerful as I?d expected, that?s a matter of perspective, I guess (ironically, in many melodramas, I want the acting toned down). And I think she?s a great commanding presence, whether or not this is as much to the credit of how well Curtiz and cinematographer Ernest Haller highlight her face, which I?ve always believed existed solely for the cinema. Watching ?Mildred Pierce,? I viewed so many shots of her as being epitomic of film perfection and wondered if they resonated so much because they?re already known to be specifically iconic to me (via film books or sampled clips or whatever), or if Crawford is such an icon because every picture of her is so captivating. I presume the latter applies here.
The single, or primary, problem I have with ?Mildred Pierce? concerns Blyth and her character as adapted. Yes, I think she?s terrible in the role and question what the Academy was thinking in nominating her for Best Supporting Actress, even if I found her so sufficient as a spoiled brat that I constantly wished for Crawford to beat her with a wire hanger to set her straight. But I guess most of my issue with her has to do with the writing of the character and the overall relationship between her and her mother as insufficiently translated to the screen in such short length. I don?t think we ever get a real good understanding of why Veda is so spoiled, from the beginning, and her motives continue to be under-explored to the climax. I never bought the character and found her role in Mildred?s story, as significant as it?s supposed to be, the very least interesting part of the film.
Regardless of how much I?m already despising Haynes? Veda, as portrayed by Turner, and I don?t expect to be any more into Evan Rachel Wood?s performance, I expect and hope that the miniseries will allow for greater development of the character and the mother-daughter dynamic. This may be simply a case of it having a longer running time to devote to this?if Haynes can focus so much time on the evolution of Mildred?s baking business, compared to Curtiz?s use of quick voice-over exposition, there?s no way he could be lacking in room for the more necessary story elements.
I?m interested in hearing from devout ?Mildred Pierce? fans on what they love about the film and what you may have to say in the defense of Blyth and the development of Veda. And what does everyone think of Haynes? version, in comparison, so far?
Follow Spout on Twitter (@Spout) and be a fan on Facebook
Follow Christopher Campbell on Twitter (@thefilmcynic)
Comments
Apples & Oranges, my friends. Though I?m not a especial fan of Joan Crawford?s version, I will say that the new mini-series is well-crafted, well-acted, and beautifully directed. I?m not particularly drawn to the source material, but when I watched it last night on HBO, I was really drawn in by the excellence of the production. Todd Haynes really has a feel for this kind of story.
All the things you taught me to apprectiate in the old, classic, B/W drama films are in Mildred Pierce. I saw it way before you were born & loved it more each time I saw it. I didn?t know exactly why i loved it until, years & years later?....... after your explanations re what makes a good movie.
I dont get why you don?t love it, except that I guess Joan Crawford?s ?Mildred Pierce? must be a Girl?s Movie!
And I agree with JBD?s comment, re Mildred?s love scenes in the HBO version: Some things are much better left to the imagination!
Great article.� Bad choice of movies you don?t love.
xoxo
As a long and devoted fan of the novel, I?m loving the HBO adaptation.� The mini-series follows page-by-page, and with wonderful detail.
Cain was far ahead of his time, understanding a family?s devestation in the wake of a child?s unexpected death.� Why does Veda turn into a monster?� Yes, she was snooty and haughty as a youngster, but her sociopathy develops after she loses her little sister.
Watch the evolution of Mildred, as well.� For all of her plucky independence, Mildred?s a woman who has both her child and her middle-class respectability taken away, left scrambling to fill the voids.� When you watched her jump in (literally) and start her fling with Monty, could there be any doubt that you were seeing someone make a big, big mistake?
Haynes? version is s-o-o-o s-l-o-w-w-w-w-w.� Not noir-y like the original.� And I really didn?t need to see Mildred have sex.
Post a Comment
Source: http://fb.indiewire.com/~r/indiewire/spout/~3/mOEn9MmzD2I/
celebrity haircuts celebrity celebrity hair celebrity movies celebrity babies
No comments:
Post a Comment