All About Eve
Oct. 27th, 2006 09:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakHad a real life scare yesterday, which fortunately turns out to have a moderately happy ending. Phew. So, before I hop on yet another train for the rest of the day, some thoughts about a classic I finally got around to watching: All About Eve, directed and written by Joseph Mankiewicz, starring Bette Davis and Anne Baxter. As anything written by either brother Mankiewicz (the older one being Hermann, aka he who wrote Citizen Kane, or co-wrote with Orson, depending on whom you believe), the dialogue is superb, and given Joe M. was also a fabulous director and had some excellent actors at his disposal, the performances rock. And yet, though I'd recommend it to anyone, this particular film leaves me with some complaints.
Praise first: given that one of the issues of this film, who only doesn't belong in the "Hollywood on Hollywood" category because the action takes place in the theatre world, is the way actresses are forced to stick with the juvenile lead role if they want to get work at all, it's good to see Mankiewicz puts his money where his mouth is, because this is one women-centric picture, with the plum role going to Bette Davis as Margo Channing, who gets to say in on screen dialogue she's 40, the most important supporting role going to Celeste Holms who is Margo's contemporary and thus also in the 40-something category (and the script doesn't pretend otherwise). I have no idea how old Anne Baxter, who playes Eve, the title character and main antagonist, was when she shot this, but she's supposed to be in her early 20s and looks around 30, which is okay. In a nice irony, the one genuine young, really young actress is one Marilyn Monroe, appearing in what is little more than a cameo but nonetheless an oddly touching scene. The menfolk are there to support, be argued over or manipulated by, with one exception, but they're not nearly as important, and it's significant that the one exception is played by the reliably sinister gangster film pro, George Sanders. One one level, the whole film is a biting satire on the "a star is born" cliché and sentimentality, because Eve, who follows that audience familiar route of naive adoring young thing making contact with established star, rising while established star declines and finding humility and talent rewarded by becoming star herself, using her award acceptance speech to thank past star, is really a cool ruthless manipulator who orchestrated the entire rise. Her lovable humble young ingenue persona is a careful construction, based on a realistic estimation of what men (and women) will respond to. She really is a fantastic actress.
Margo, the role Bette Davis won the Oscar for, is something of a contruction herself, and she knows it; but her diva persona has become so much part of her that she has trouble to decide whether there is anything else left. Which leads me to where my one, and major problem with the film is. I think Mankiewicsz was in a bit of a tight spot, given the production code of the time. He couldn't let Eve get away with it unpunished, though the logic of the story demanded that she should; on the other end, Margo, who is the heroine of the tale, after all, needed some kind of reward. The way he extricated himself was by letting Eve win the role and applause and award she aimed for, but a) showing there was a new Eve waiting for her as well, and b) giving George Sanders' character the opportunity to blackmail her into a relationship, in a scene that contains about the only clunker of a line the script has, in which he, a professed cynic, suddenly tells her that it's amazing he should want such a depraved woman as herself at all. IMO, a) would have been enough; b) is overdoing it, and isn't very believable. As for Margo: I'm not sure whether or not the film implies that she retires after winning the sexual prize, Bill, and that's my problem. Because she has that line where she says in order to feel like a real woman, you need your man waking up next to you. I know, I know, film of its time, but still. Margo otherwise is shown as being the consumate actress, living for her work; now if we're meant to think that her arc was realizing she can't play the young maidens anymore and moving on to other roles (while also feeling more secure in her relationship with Bill, who is eight years younger than herself - and btw, this must be one of the few Hollywood films where the leading lady has a relationship with a younger man which ends happily), great, but if we're meant to believe she retires from the stage altogether after Bill returned to her and proposed, grrrr, argh. I cling to Sanders' character's pronouncement that Margo will always be a star.
Still, this is one classic where I wish we would get a modern remake. Which would end like Chicago does, with Margo and Eve on stage together, using their rivalry and mutual talent to further both their careers.
Praise first: given that one of the issues of this film, who only doesn't belong in the "Hollywood on Hollywood" category because the action takes place in the theatre world, is the way actresses are forced to stick with the juvenile lead role if they want to get work at all, it's good to see Mankiewicz puts his money where his mouth is, because this is one women-centric picture, with the plum role going to Bette Davis as Margo Channing, who gets to say in on screen dialogue she's 40, the most important supporting role going to Celeste Holms who is Margo's contemporary and thus also in the 40-something category (and the script doesn't pretend otherwise). I have no idea how old Anne Baxter, who playes Eve, the title character and main antagonist, was when she shot this, but she's supposed to be in her early 20s and looks around 30, which is okay. In a nice irony, the one genuine young, really young actress is one Marilyn Monroe, appearing in what is little more than a cameo but nonetheless an oddly touching scene. The menfolk are there to support, be argued over or manipulated by, with one exception, but they're not nearly as important, and it's significant that the one exception is played by the reliably sinister gangster film pro, George Sanders. One one level, the whole film is a biting satire on the "a star is born" cliché and sentimentality, because Eve, who follows that audience familiar route of naive adoring young thing making contact with established star, rising while established star declines and finding humility and talent rewarded by becoming star herself, using her award acceptance speech to thank past star, is really a cool ruthless manipulator who orchestrated the entire rise. Her lovable humble young ingenue persona is a careful construction, based on a realistic estimation of what men (and women) will respond to. She really is a fantastic actress.
Margo, the role Bette Davis won the Oscar for, is something of a contruction herself, and she knows it; but her diva persona has become so much part of her that she has trouble to decide whether there is anything else left. Which leads me to where my one, and major problem with the film is. I think Mankiewicsz was in a bit of a tight spot, given the production code of the time. He couldn't let Eve get away with it unpunished, though the logic of the story demanded that she should; on the other end, Margo, who is the heroine of the tale, after all, needed some kind of reward. The way he extricated himself was by letting Eve win the role and applause and award she aimed for, but a) showing there was a new Eve waiting for her as well, and b) giving George Sanders' character the opportunity to blackmail her into a relationship, in a scene that contains about the only clunker of a line the script has, in which he, a professed cynic, suddenly tells her that it's amazing he should want such a depraved woman as herself at all. IMO, a) would have been enough; b) is overdoing it, and isn't very believable. As for Margo: I'm not sure whether or not the film implies that she retires after winning the sexual prize, Bill, and that's my problem. Because she has that line where she says in order to feel like a real woman, you need your man waking up next to you. I know, I know, film of its time, but still. Margo otherwise is shown as being the consumate actress, living for her work; now if we're meant to think that her arc was realizing she can't play the young maidens anymore and moving on to other roles (while also feeling more secure in her relationship with Bill, who is eight years younger than herself - and btw, this must be one of the few Hollywood films where the leading lady has a relationship with a younger man which ends happily), great, but if we're meant to believe she retires from the stage altogether after Bill returned to her and proposed, grrrr, argh. I cling to Sanders' character's pronouncement that Margo will always be a star.
Still, this is one classic where I wish we would get a modern remake. Which would end like Chicago does, with Margo and Eve on stage together, using their rivalry and mutual talent to further both their careers.
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no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 12:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-28 04:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-28 04:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 02:11 pm (UTC)I enjoy AAE but it's also one of those movies where I just hate all the characters too much to really love the movie -- and yes, absolutely about the dated outcome. The other thing that has me scratching my head is the premise that it's a Bad Thing for younger actresses not to have the chance to play the young characters who are the leads -- while it never seems to occur to anyone to write lead parts for older female characters (which,ironically, is what Bette Davis was able to get people to do in the movies). The more things change. . .sigh.
BTW -- points to icon -- I'm
stalkingseeing Mr. Schreiber this weekend at a film event; he's ostensibly going to be talking about a film that he directed himself, but if you can come up with any Welles-related questions for the Q&A that I can use to make myself sound smart (and, you know, get an interesting answer), I'm open for suggestions.no subject
Date: 2006-10-28 05:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 02:51 pm (UTC)This was actually Bette's second Oscar; I think her first was for "Jezebel."
no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 05:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-28 05:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-28 10:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-27 11:43 pm (UTC)This is really my favorite movie and I saw alot. My take on Margo not working was a little different. Since her producer/writer was busy with making the new play a success and saving his marriage she was just about waiting for the next production to happen. Eve couldn't and wouldn't stay in the theater, she had to leave for becoming a movie star, since noone in her circle had any illusions about her left (and going to Hollywood was her only chance to get rid of DeWitt).
Besides, the movie is from 1950. during the war alot of females had an independent life because the husbands, friends and fathers were at war. Bette Davis refelcted this independance in the movies she made in that time. War was over, soldiers came home. the studio had a problem, Bette was not loved by men. she actually lost her enormous box office appeal when men were deciding again what movie was seen.
With time, they tried to make her play roles who were more "submissive", that is why this element was worked in.
Just for the record, Bette did not win an Academy Award for All about Eve. Stupid studio nominated her AND Anne Baxter in the category of "Best actress" so they divided the votes and both lost.
Heya, do you really come from Mülheim an der Ruhr? If so, I'm just shocked about how small the internet/world is, since I'm from Duisburg.
Greetings
Stoppelhopser
no subject
Date: 2006-10-28 04:59 am (UTC)Oh, and yes, of course, you're right about Eve & Hollywood!
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Date: 2006-10-28 10:54 am (UTC)No, no, no, no, no. You're confusing him with Sydney Greenstreet. Sanders is always intelligent, usually cynical, always subtle, always knowing beyond the public-school accent. Did you see in in Moonfleet? As Charles II in Forever Amber? (An unjustly forgotten Otto Preminger humdinger of a historical saga, BTW, you especially really should see it. It's got amazing camera work as fluid as Max Ophüls. And the music by David Raksin is his best ever.) In Bel Ami? (In fact, in all of Victor Lewin's dreamy masterpieces; he has a supporting part in the sublime Pandora and in The Portrait of Dorian Grey, too.) Sanders is Da Man.