Was Strickland a product of his times or just a disgusting human being? Strickland: you know I will beat you. ATTA: That's how I know you love me(paraphrased) The makers of this film made damn sure that the beginning message of this film stayed on screen for almost a minute as well as the ending screen message.
shareI think that the producers and censors wanted to make darned sure we knew Strickland was supposed to be a disgusting human being -- because a lot of us, from time to time, would just love to take up and move away and go to Tahiti.
Plus, at the end, Strickland suffered and became somewhat sympathetic.
I love this movie, although I'm always bothered by the women's comments about the men beating them (i.e., "How else would I know that he loved me?") The comments are pretty sick. Despite this, it's a favorite of mine. I encourage you all to read the novel, which is my favorite of Maugham's.
The novel -- and many other great books -- can be found, for free, on gutenberg.org:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/222
"All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people."
I had just read the book shortly before I saw the movie on TV a couple years ago. I loved the book and found the characters fascinating. Strickland was not your typical leading man and the author made no apologies for his selfish and outrageous behavior. The fact that he was not predictable made the book/movie that much more interesting.
I was very surprised that the movie didn't soften the Strickland character, especially in 1942. The lack of compromise made the movie that much better and Sanders was perfect as Strickland.
I just watched the movie again a couple of nights ago and liked it even better the second time around.
There is no need to get your pantyhose in a wad over this. Wife beating is very common among the lower classes and primitive people. My wife worked at the New Jersey home for girls in the 1960s - about 98% black. The girls used to tell her that if her husband does not beat you, he doesn't love you.
share> Strickland: you know I will beat you.
> ATTA: That's how I know you love me(paraphrased)
And not only that. Before that scene, the old matchmaker is recalling her 6 husbands, and she recounts how her husband "beat her black and blue." But she does it nostalgically and is laughing the entire time. In the same way you'd recount how much someone loved his golf game. As if it was an endearing hobby. As if "those were the days!" (It was easy to miss because her tone didn't seem to match the content at all.)