Continuing the journey through “great cinema,” this weekend I turned to the mad women, driven insane by love.
The timespan of this “1001 Movies to See Before You Die” anthology makes it truly remarkable. I know I’ve barely made a dent in the list. When I think about how much gets covered, I feel overwhelmed by choice.
I had been meaning to watch each of these films for a while now. They lay dormant in my subconscious for the past few years. However, a common thread tied them together, making for the perfect combination to watch in a row.
That thread? Mad women. Unfortunately, the ladies in these films are not crazy in the “fun” sense. This isn’t “Ma” or “Fatal Attraction.” The mad women in these movies break down in response to the influence of the ones they cherish most. Lovers, children, and glory drive these women to the brink (and beyond– spoiler alert) of destruction.
Warning: Some spoilers lie ahead.
The Red Shoes
I had first heard of this film in an analysis of “Black Swan.” A separate analysis from a Youtube channel I love came out this weekend. Thus, the catalyst to watch these movies was born. “Black Swan” is one of my favorite movies (I must reevaluate my top 10 list), so to see that “The Red Shoes” felt comparable intrigued me.
Similar to “Black Swan,” “The Red Shoes” also features a ballerina with a strong desire to be the greatest. Perfect, even. Victoria “Vicky” Page, joins the company of Boris Lermontov, as does aspiring composer Julian Craster. Both are given a chance to shine: Julian composes a score for a new show, a telling of Han’s Christian Andersen’s “The Red Shoes,” with Vicky as the principal dancer. The show is a hit, and their careers soar. But when their passion for the ballet translates offstage, will Boris approve the loss of his ingenue?
In an early scene in “Black Swan,” Nina weeps softly over her ambitions, “I just want to be perfect.” This scene could easily come from “The Red Shoes.” Vicky is soft, eager, and her passion for dance knows no bounds. When she first meets Boris, he asks her “Why do you want to dance?” She instantly replies, “Why do you want to live?” In show business, that’s the only acceptable response!
There are similarities to “The Red Shoes” in “Black Swan.” Boris visits Vicky during a performance of (you guessed it) “Swan Lake.” The film technique used to show Vicky watching Boris watching her is used in “Black Swan” during a similar “prodigy and her mentor” sequence. As well, both films feature a pivotal dance sequence that takes a turn for the surreal. The twenty minute performance of “The Red Shoes” within the film goes back and forth between classically beautiful and haunting. The more disturbing moments of the performance reminded me of “The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari!” Speaking of surreal, the opening credits are so colorful, that I felt memory pangs of “Midsommar;” folksy colors that should enchant, but disturb and unsettle, right at the start.
Vicky, unfortunately, gets chewed and spat out by the ones who supposedly love her the most. When given the choice to stay with Boris to dance, or elope with Julian, she leaves with Julian. Her married life is mostly unfulfilling, and has little to no dancing. Boris offers her the chance to come back, in exchange for leaving Julian. Forced to choose between her love of dance and her love of her life, she cannot bend. Thus, she breaks.
I loved this movie, even though it broke my heart. The final sequence is tragically beautiful. Speaking of beauty, I had mentioned my delight at seeing Monaco featured in Rebecca. The Technicolor in this film gave Monaco a brief moment in the spotlight, to the point that I rewound the movie just so I could experience it all again. It really is one of the most beautiful places! Still, the beauty does not erase the sadness of a woman’s loss of her own self. Speaking of loss of her own self, let’s move from Monaco (and Paris, and the fabulous places in between) to foggy London town. Remember I said foggy.
Gaslight
Thanks to, ahem, semi-recent political happenings, the term “gaslighting” has been used (and abused– I went there) in the mainstream for a while. The term derives from this film, which turns out to be a remake! In purchasing the rights to make this movie, the production company requested all copies of the original be burned. Trying to erase an experience? Make it seem like something real no longer exists? Pretty sure that’s gaslighting. ANYWAY.
After ten years of Italian opera study, Paula Alquist marries Gregory Anton and returns to 9 Thornton Square, London. The home, bequeathed to her by her famous aunt Alice, is the same place where she saw her aunt murdered as a teenager by a jewel thief. Her husband, eager to put the bad memories behind her, hires She begins to lose her sense of her surroundings. Much to the chagrin of her husband, she loses precious items, takes things and hides them, and hears noises coming from the boarded up floor above her. Greg shares with her his fear that she is going mad, the way her mother did when she was left to live with her aunt. As Paula withdraws further into her insanity, a curious and concerned former fan of Alice falls into the rabbit hole of evidence of her unsolved murder.
When I say I was ready to throw hands within the first ten minutes of this movie, I do not exaggerate. Gregory manipulates Paula, lies to her, and all but destroys her brain in a quest to find the jewels that were left untaken by the thief that night. He even charms Nancy, the housemaid, into helping with his schemes to drive Paula mad (and out of her beautiful home). It is all so tragic to witness, and almost too much to bear. The final scene, however, makes it all worth it.
This movie had me on the edge of my seat, waiting for the shoe to drop. Granted, part of that feeling came from pity towards Paula, played beautifully by Ingrid Bergman. I had forgotten that Isabella Rossellini is her daughter, but there are a few moments in “Gaslight” where the genetic resemblance is uncanny. Her own confusion made me want to jump into the film to help her away from Greg, AND Nancy, whose conniving felt so uncomfortable, seeing as how she’s played by Angela Lansbury (in her first major role… I know her best as Mrs. Potts from “Beauty and the Beast”!). It enraged me so much to see a woman driven so mad by her husband. However, nothing compares (I assume) to recklessness caused by your own child.
Mildred Pierce
After “Feud: Bette and Joan,” I wanted to devour all of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford’s ouvre. Bette Davis got her turn in my look at Marilyn Monroe. While “All About Eve” got Bette Davis an Oscar, “Mildred Pierce” scored one for Joan Crawford! While Mildred doesn’t go mad the way that Vicky or Paula do, one could easily argue her actions aren’t that of a rational person.
Gunshots by the beach! A murder! Why? Restaurateur Mildred Pierce gets taken in for questioning for the murder of her husband. Mildred recounts her story, in flashback format, describing her first unhappy marriage that resulted in two daughters. One daughter dies early in her childhood, leaving all focus placed on Veda, Mildred’s spoiled rotten eldest. With an investment from a wealthy playboy, Monty Beragon, Mildred spins her passion for baking into a successful diner. As Mildred’s business grows, so do the gifts for the increasingly selfish Veda. All of it culminates in a fever pitch, with Monty lying dead on the floor. But who dunnit?
Though it didn’t reach the same level of fury as “Gaslight,” I had a visceral reaction to “Mildred Pierce.” Despite buying her daughter lavish clothes, jewelry, and a CAR, Veda looks down on Mildred for always “smelling like grease.” How ACTUALLY dare you, Veda! If my mother took debt and turned it into enough money to live large, I would never be more proud. Seriously, Mildred tells her story while wearing a matching Mink coat and hat. While I’d never wear fur, even I know that both back then and now, that ain’t cheap! Critics did argue that Veda’s ingratitude for her mother felt unrealistic. I defy them to go on social media, or watch “My Super Sweet 16,” where girls cry if their new car isn’t the one they want.
In one particularly vile scene, Veda tricks a boyfriend into marrying her, then paying for a divorce because of a pregnancy. When she smugly tells her mother of her lie, Mildred rips the 10,000 dollar check from her hands and tears it into pieces. I screamed from my couch “YES!! RIP IT UP!!” I felt so satisfied. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning. In the climax of the film, it’s revealed that Veda has been secretly carrying on an affair with Monty, who has simultaneously been taking money from Mildred to pay his own debts. Things don’t end well after Mildred discovers the truth.
After watching “The Red Shoes,” I breathed a sigh of relief that Vicky wouldn’t suffer any longer. Once I finished watching “Gaslight,” I breathed a similar sigh of relief. “Mildred Pierce” had too bleak an ending for me to feel relief. Mildred loses everything, in her quest to have it all. She gives so much to the people she loves, only for them to betray her. Moral of the story: be selfish (but also, don’t break the law).
As distasteful as it is to admit, mad women are a compelling theme in cinema. It’s particularly enjoyable when their madness drives them to a demented place of satisfaction, whether it be accomplishing perfection or casting their own revenge. However, in real life, no one likes mad women. What a shame they went mad.