On my first viewing of 'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte' a few years back, it did strike me as a very good film if not quite masterpiece level. Decided to see it again to see whether my positive memories of it would hold up. Being somebody that loves many of the actors involved, especially Bette Davis, and who has liked to loved most of what has been seen of Robert Aldrich's work ('The Grissom Gang' being the only exception), especially 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane' and 'Attack'.
The good news is that my positive initial feelings of 'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte' on my long overdue recent re-watch are not just unchanged (so still feel very positively about it), my basic thoughts on the film's many strengths and not near as many flaws are also pretty much exactly the same. Actually appreciated 'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte's' many good things even more this time round. Most of the cast give some of their best performances and as far as Aldrich's films go, it is towards the better end.
My biggest criticism of 'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte' is the overlong length, it could easily have been just over an hour and a half which would have been achieved if some of the middle was tightened up in the pace or trimmed.
Some of the middle's writing falls into the unintentional camp territory, which is a shame as much of the film is genuinely atmospheric and unnerving.
On the other hand, no fault can be had with the cast. Davis is very over-the-top, especially some of her line delivery, but thrillingly and chillingly so. Over-the-top is not always a good thing, but it proved to be a lot of fun here with Davis as it did suit the character perfectly and it was the type of role that she did better than most at this point. Olivia De Havilland is a lot more restrained but just as monstrous and effectively unsympathetic, very different type of role for her and one she initially had reservations about. Agnes Moorehead is delicious fun and suitably beastly and Mary Astor gives a heartfelt and nuanced performance, making a big impression in short screen time. Aldrich directs with a lot of tension and atmosphere, especially in the early stages with for example the shocking murder. The characters may not be subtle but they are interesting.
'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte' looks wonderful. The cinematography is hauntingly exquisite, with some creative shots (without being gimmicky) in the more horror-oriented moments, and the Gothic production design is hugely atmospheric. The music does nothing to detract from the creepiness, not resorting to over-obvious music cues, and the title song is memorable and is a beautiful song on its own. Some of the script is on the camp side and it is unashamedly melodramatic, but it is also quite intelligent and very Tennessee Williams-like (that's a compliment). The story has a flawed mid section, but it starts off brilliantly and one scene in particular in the early stages stays with one for a long time after. The final twenty minutes are also genuinely shocking. There is a genuine creepiness to the horror-like elements, the build ups biting the nails, while the mystery side intrigues.
In summary, very well done. 8/10
The good news is that my positive initial feelings of 'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte' on my long overdue recent re-watch are not just unchanged (so still feel very positively about it), my basic thoughts on the film's many strengths and not near as many flaws are also pretty much exactly the same. Actually appreciated 'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte's' many good things even more this time round. Most of the cast give some of their best performances and as far as Aldrich's films go, it is towards the better end.
My biggest criticism of 'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte' is the overlong length, it could easily have been just over an hour and a half which would have been achieved if some of the middle was tightened up in the pace or trimmed.
Some of the middle's writing falls into the unintentional camp territory, which is a shame as much of the film is genuinely atmospheric and unnerving.
On the other hand, no fault can be had with the cast. Davis is very over-the-top, especially some of her line delivery, but thrillingly and chillingly so. Over-the-top is not always a good thing, but it proved to be a lot of fun here with Davis as it did suit the character perfectly and it was the type of role that she did better than most at this point. Olivia De Havilland is a lot more restrained but just as monstrous and effectively unsympathetic, very different type of role for her and one she initially had reservations about. Agnes Moorehead is delicious fun and suitably beastly and Mary Astor gives a heartfelt and nuanced performance, making a big impression in short screen time. Aldrich directs with a lot of tension and atmosphere, especially in the early stages with for example the shocking murder. The characters may not be subtle but they are interesting.
'Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte' looks wonderful. The cinematography is hauntingly exquisite, with some creative shots (without being gimmicky) in the more horror-oriented moments, and the Gothic production design is hugely atmospheric. The music does nothing to detract from the creepiness, not resorting to over-obvious music cues, and the title song is memorable and is a beautiful song on its own. Some of the script is on the camp side and it is unashamedly melodramatic, but it is also quite intelligent and very Tennessee Williams-like (that's a compliment). The story has a flawed mid section, but it starts off brilliantly and one scene in particular in the early stages stays with one for a long time after. The final twenty minutes are also genuinely shocking. There is a genuine creepiness to the horror-like elements, the build ups biting the nails, while the mystery side intrigues.
In summary, very well done. 8/10