It is incredible... visually and in terms of the story and performances. Beautiful, Thrilling and Creepy.
shareUnderrated, especially for a noir, but not without reason. Drearily languid pace, lacking "auteur" stamp, among other things, and melodramatic plot would put off most viewers, even avid film-buffs. I still think it holds better than even the most acclaimed noirs. 9/10, easily.
shareOne of the very best Bette Davis pictures.
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LBJ's mistress tells all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPdviZbk-XI&;
Totally agree, Bette Davis was wonderful.
shareI think it's flawed because of the 1) Chinese element (they're simply much too stereotypically portrayed with a sanctimonious, rigid, uptight carriage....every one of them. Most annoying.)
2. The character...no, CARICATURE...of Mrs. Hammond. HORRENDOUS ACTING. What was Wake thinking in casting her and letting her go on that way. DEDPICABLE.
3. The Max Steiner score. My God. It must be the most offensive and intrusive film score ever written. It Is F'ING LOUD, all over the movie, and highly nerve-wracking. Those upswings on the violins and whatever other instruments were used....in every damn scene were just awful. It's a basically good story but the film is wrought with completely horrendous elements that all should have been replaced.
Correction: What was Walker thinking.
Typing from this android is a pain. It creates its own damn non-sensical words.
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The Letter always struck me as an over-wrought, over-rated soapy women's melodrama to be quite frank. The treatment it is given in this so called 'classic' is awful. The original version with Jeanne Eagels hits closer to the mark for me. But ultimately no filmed version of The Letter has really succeeded. They've all descended into the absurd in their final scenes, that awful 'with all my heart...' bit. In the case of the Bette Davis film, there's only so much of Davis pacing and wringing her hands I can take. Probably one of Davis' worst performances in my opinion, and even William Wyler's direction - beyond that stunning opening sequence - is off kilter.
I reckon this begs to be revisited and I'd personally love to see it done with Helena Bonham Carter in the lead role, with greater and more realistic development of characters and narrative.
A perfect 10 to me. A true masterpiece.
Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop
If I were limited to three adjectives, I personally would have chosen "beautiful," "mysterious," and "haunting." It is full of repeating motifs/symbols such as the moon, the knitting and the knife to engage my mind on a deeper level and for much longer than the length of the film.
John 3:16
If I were limited to three adjectives, I personally would have chosen "beautiful," "mysterious," and "haunting." It is full of repeating motifs/symbols such as the moon, the knitting and the knife to engage my mind on a deeper level and for much longer than the length of the film.
John 3:16