I recall seeing Joe Wright's 'Atonement (2007)' in the cinema, and being absolutely enraged at the character of Briony Tallis (played by Saoirse Ronan), who so selfishly and ruthlessly destroyed the lives of those close to her. I didn't think that any film could make me dislike a girl so strongly, but 'Mildred Pierce (1945)' wins the game, set, and match. This classy noir drama from director Michael Curtiz is all about biting the hand that feeds you: single mother Mildred (Joan Crawford) does her utmost to provide for daughter Veda (Ann Blyth) – an obnoxious, loathsome, spoilt little brat – only to be betrayed and disparaged over and over. If true love is blind, then the love for one's children is even more so. Crawford salvaged her flailing career with this excellent Oscar-winning turn, playing a strong, independent female character, but one whose daughter turns out to be her fatal weak-point (Veda is essentially the equivalent of the treacherous dame that tempts a traditional (male) noir protagonist).
'Mildred Pierce' opens with a vicious murder, the victim crying the name "Mildred" with his dying breath, and subsequently flashes back to the years leading up to this moment. From here, Curtiz (working from a novel by James M. Cain) pieces together a tragic story of love, lust, jealousy, loyalty and betrayal, and Ernest Haller's magnificent use of shadowy black-and-white photography keeps the sordidness at bay. Aside from the female leads, the three male actors (Zachary Scott, Bruce Bennett, Jack Carson) each bring something different to their roles, but most impressive is Carson, playing a relentlessly cocky, and oddly likable, real-estate agent. Throughout the film, there are a few moments that don't quite sit right: the death of younger daughter Kay (Jo Ann Marlowe) seemed like an unnecessary tangent, as was Monte Beragon's improbable, offhand query of "I thought you had two daughters?" However, the occasionally misstep can't dampen one's enjoyment of a premium 1940s noir melodrama. If nothing else, 'Mildred Pierce' will put you off having children, or, at least, will have you hoping for sons.
'Mildred Pierce' opens with a vicious murder, the victim crying the name "Mildred" with his dying breath, and subsequently flashes back to the years leading up to this moment. From here, Curtiz (working from a novel by James M. Cain) pieces together a tragic story of love, lust, jealousy, loyalty and betrayal, and Ernest Haller's magnificent use of shadowy black-and-white photography keeps the sordidness at bay. Aside from the female leads, the three male actors (Zachary Scott, Bruce Bennett, Jack Carson) each bring something different to their roles, but most impressive is Carson, playing a relentlessly cocky, and oddly likable, real-estate agent. Throughout the film, there are a few moments that don't quite sit right: the death of younger daughter Kay (Jo Ann Marlowe) seemed like an unnecessary tangent, as was Monte Beragon's improbable, offhand query of "I thought you had two daughters?" However, the occasionally misstep can't dampen one's enjoyment of a premium 1940s noir melodrama. If nothing else, 'Mildred Pierce' will put you off having children, or, at least, will have you hoping for sons.