MovieChat Forums > Leave Her to Heaven Discussion > your most shocking moment? *spoilers!*

your most shocking moment? spoilers!

posted 14 years ago by SusanJL
13 replies | jump to latest

For me, the most shocking moment in the movie was when she said she hoped her child "the little beast" would die. I am surprised something that dark would be put in a 1945 movie!!!!

[–] entertainme5 14 years ago

To me, classic drama movies are more truthful to what the character is feeling and thinking. Now, the characters just argue with one another. But like you said, it was shocking and that's what makes this movie so good. I mean, I was so sure that she didn't like her kin being there, helping fix up the room but it was more than that.

*Put the blame on mame!*

[–] Zuider_Zee 10 years ago

The ridiculous and over the top courtroom scenes. Was the jury drunk? They bought Richard's story just like that?

[–] summeriris 10 years ago

The scene that has always stuck with me was the one of Ellen scattering her father's ashes on horseback. Apart from the fact that the father's ashes seem to come from a bottomless jar, her face during that scene. It gave me shivers.
_____________
I am the Queen of Snark, TStopped said so.

[–] OccasionalPoster 9 years ago

Personally, although I've read the book and now seen the movie twice, I would say the scene where Ellen throws herself down the stairs, causing her miscarriage. When I first watched that scene, it was almost hard to watch - just the idea that someone would do such a thing to their own unborn child. I'm a grown man and that scene was almost difficult to get through.

Still a good movie though.

Cast Away...It's like Forrest Gump, but on an island.

[–] summeriris 9 years ago

Ellen was something else. Gene Tierney was terrific in this film.

_____________
I am the Queen of Snark, TStopped said so. And I have groupies, Atomic Girl said so.

[–] OccasionalPoster 9 years ago

I'm right there with you, summeriris!

Gene Tierney was terrific. I just loved some of her facial expressions, her gestures, her movements, and her articulation. I thought she did great playing this posh New England type.

Cast Away...It's like Forrest Gump, but on an island.

[–] summeriris 9 years ago

I know that Joan Crawford was great in 'Mildred Peirce' but I think Tierney should have won the Oscar. But she was up against a great star playing a suffering mother, and she was playing an ice cold murderess.

_____________
I am the Queen of Snark, TStopped said so. And I have groupies, Atomic Girl said so.

[–] kelly-527 8 years ago

I think what makes it so compelling is she is so evil, so coldly and selfishly motivated.

[–] summeriris 8 years ago

Very difficult for academy of the day to vote for.

_____________
I am the Queen of Snark, TStopped said so. And I have groupies, Atomic Girl said so.

[–] Venus-25 8 years ago

I didn't find that moment shocking in view of what we already knew about Ellen. We knew that she got pregnant only to hold onto Richard. What I found shocking was her suicide.

One would expect that she would kill Ruth and frame Richard. Her ex would have really enjoyed prosecuting that case.

The Fabio Principle: Puffy shirts look best on men who look even better without them.

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

I agree, that seemed out of character. You'd think she'd kill her sister and then Richard, and make his ashes into a pillow so they could always be together!

But of course the most shocking moment was the rowboat scene! Even now, we're just not used to seeing normal-looking people kill children, we like to think that only some "other" character, like a gangster or an orc would do that, but no. The sociopaths are among us, and some of them look good enough to get away with a hell of a lot.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (5968) 3 years ago

It was a unique moment in time. After five years of the most horrible war the world had ever seen, people had a tolerance for shocking things that they had never had before.

[–] Popcorngal (4349) a year ago

How about the doctor asking her why was she having the baby if she was so miserable. Was he suggesting she abort her kid?