After a woman tells her lover the thrill is gone and that she wants to break it off, he confesses the same thing, taking her aback and wounding her pride. This sets in motion a plan for slow, methodical, delicious revenge. That makes total sense, right? Her idea is to get him interested in a woman who had aspirations to become a serious dancer, but out of poverty, had to turn to dancing in cabarets and prostitution to support herself and her mother. She plots to keep the 'fallen' woman's story hidden and to put the two in each other's path, then manipulate him into falling in love. The icy cruelty and emotional torture may remind you of the aristocrats in Laclos's 'Dangerous Liaisons', and indeed, the script is based on a part of a book by Denis Diderot, 'Jacques the Fatalist,' which was also published in the late 18th century.
María Casares is suitably evil in the leading role, and I really felt for the young woman who becomes her pawn (Elina Labourdette). When we first meet the latter, she's dancing in front of men and trying to keep a smile on her face, but hating their attention. We soon see her in the grip of a rich guy who humiliates her by blowing smoke in her face and smirking. It's hard to fathom how her mother can encourage her to accept this life, even out of necessity. This along with the tropes of the wrath of a woman scorned and the shame of a woman who is not virginal give the film an unpleasant overall taste. It is interesting to see the story unfold, however, with Labourdette's character sensing something is amiss and suspecting Casares. The ending is also strong.
María Casares is suitably evil in the leading role, and I really felt for the young woman who becomes her pawn (Elina Labourdette). When we first meet the latter, she's dancing in front of men and trying to keep a smile on her face, but hating their attention. We soon see her in the grip of a rich guy who humiliates her by blowing smoke in her face and smirking. It's hard to fathom how her mother can encourage her to accept this life, even out of necessity. This along with the tropes of the wrath of a woman scorned and the shame of a woman who is not virginal give the film an unpleasant overall taste. It is interesting to see the story unfold, however, with Labourdette's character sensing something is amiss and suspecting Casares. The ending is also strong.