#mildred pierce 1945

[oscarupsets]

Billy Wilder has brought us a pair of successful, dark dramas for 1945. This year we also see a bit of weird...sexism?

The Lost Weekend was handling a serious topic in a much realer sense than Best Picture winners before it, which some worried may be difficult for women's "sensitive tastes".

Even from a ~woman's perspective~, I found The Lost Weekend to be just exquisite. Ray Milland's acting was superb. Watching his character's struggles in such a short timeframe is quite heartbreaking but expertly done.

Mildred Pierce seemed reminiscent of last year's Double Indemnity. Mainly because a husband was dead and we have to discover who did it through a series of flashbacks. Even with its dark premise, this one was apparently acceptable for women!

Mildred Pierce was equally as great as The Lost Weekend, albeit with far less realism. The daughter is aggressively unlikeable by design, which made the storyline seem a bit unrealistic. It was still a fantastic story with great acting from all players.

The Lost Weekend swept the Golden Globes and the NYFCC Awards for Picture, Director, and Actor for Ray Milland. Clearly critics were in favor of The Lost Weekend, but the general audience finds the two to be on equal playing fields.

*EDIT: The Lost Weekend was added to the OFTA Hall of Fame in 2012. Somehow missed that one.*

Unofficial Review: Both were great. The general audience agrees.

Both films are available (FOR ALL VIEWERS!) on archive.org

[adaptations-polls]

Which version of this do you prefer?

[bwallure]

MILDRED PIERCE (1945) dir. Michael Curtiz

[normasshearer]

With this money, I can get away from you [...] From you and your chickens and your pies and your kitchens and everything that smells of grease. I can get away from this shack with its cheap furniture. And this town and its dollar days, and its women that wear uniforms and its men that wear overalls [...] With this money, I can get away from every rotten stinking thing that makes me think of this place or you!

MILDRED PIERCE  1945, dir. Michael Curtiz

[hellostarrynightblr]

favourite movies wached in 2023

3. Mildred Pierce (1945) dir. Michael Curtiz

It's your fault I'm the way I am.

[onefootin1941]

[letterboxd-loggd]

Mildred Pierce (1945) Michael Curtiz

December 5th 2022

[dimepicture]

[criterion-poll]

[tourneurs]

“You’d do anything for money, wouldn’t you?”

Mildred Pierce (1945) dir. Michael Curtiz

[jasonsutekh]

Mildred Pierce (1945)

A mother wants the best for her spoiled daughter so she gets work and marries money but nothing ever seems enough and it all leads to tragedy.

 Some very differing views are presented on working women. Some are positive as depicted by the determination of the title character even in the face of sabotage from her soon-to-be ex-husband. However are also points where the class system is analysed and it’s suggested that being working class is shameful, such as her hiding her uniform.

 The men all behave very poorly, one in particular is very much repulsive and he’s not even the lead antagonist, yet it’s primarily the women who seem to land most of the blame. Having such a young femme fatale is an unusual element and it warps traditional portrayals of family values which is interesting, although there seems little message aside from not spoiling one’s children. Even that is somewhat bias since one child dies and is hardly mentioned again.

 The presence of the servant creates further subtext due to the notable lack of discourse on colour and class, shown most clearly when she’s made to wear a uniform by a spiteful young girl. There are useful sentiments regarding work ethic but without the false premise that it naturally means good fortune, even if this is largely demonstrated through personal relationships.

 The ending is predetermined due to the classic film noir framing device so there’s little that’s surprising and even the climactic ending scenes aren’t really a surprise since any twist is hinted at clearly rather early on and the build-up to it is the focus of the movie. While the ending is disappointing the main journey is engaging enough to be worth a watch if it’s your genre.

 3/10 -This one’s bad but it’s got some good in it, just there-

 -The lead actor had worked as a waitress and saleswoman in real life.

-This film is credited for reinvigorating the lead actor’s career.

-The film was held back until September so that it would be more appealing post-war.

[blackandwhiteedit]

MILDRED PIERCE (1945) dir. Michael Curtiz

[romanceyourdemons]

do you have a really really beginners guide/recs to film noir? i don’t know anything about the genre except the detectives which i’m now gathering is Incorrect

here’s a list i made a couple years ago, obviously this is biased by my experience/preferences but every film on this list is a good one

Important Noirs

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Double Indemnity (1944)

Detour (1945)

All the King’s Men (1949)

The Bigamist (1953)

Mildred Pierce (1945)

The Third Man (1949)

Key Largo (1948)

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

The Sniper (1952)

The Killers (1946)

Important Proto-noirs

M (1931)

Little Caesar (1931)

Underworld (1927)

You Only Live Once (1937)

Marked Woman (1937)

Important Neo-noirs

Chinatown (1974)

Devil in a Blue Dress (1990)

Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014)

High and Low (1963)

North by Northwest (1959)

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Blue Velvet (1986)

Insomnia (2002)

Psycho (1960)

[womansfilm]

Mildred Pierce (1945) / The Reckless Moment (1949)

[normasshearer]

Get out, Veda. Get your things out of this house right now before I throw them out into the street and you with them. Get out before I kill you!

MILDRED PIERCE 1945, dir. Michael Curtiz

[hedyylamarr]

Personally, Veda's convinced me that alligators have the right idea. They eat their young.

MILDRED PIERCE (1945) dir. Michael Curtiz