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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic film starring Hollywood legend, 20 Jan 2002
By A Customer
Mildred Pierce typifies the type of films 'they don't make anymore'. Can you imagine any of the supposed stars of today trying to carry off a remake? Joan Crawford made this film as her comeback to Hollywood and she shows in every scene why she went on to be labelled the greatest-ever movie star. Her charisma and sheer star quality simply blow you away.
She suffers, she endures but above all she survives!
Made in 1945 as WWII was ending the film must have shown millions of women how they didn't have to return to looking after their husbands but could have their own careers whilst retaining their femininity (check out the furs).
A great film then and a classic film today.
Reading the review below I wonder about the worth of teenagers studying film if they can't appreciate classic cinema. Maybe they should concentrate on more worthwhile subjects like spelling.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Restoration of a True Classic, 27 July 2005
Warner has done a wonderful job of restoring this magnificent melodrama, and whatever you think of Crawford, she was rarely given such a marvellous opportunity nor surrounded by so many great talents. Chief among these is director Michael Curtiz who proves yet again why he was one of the great directors of the era. His trade mark roving camera style which made Rick's cafe in CASABLANCA seem a real place that one wants to revisit over and over again, here creates an almost voyeur's view of events in 1940s LA, especially at Monty Berrigan's Beach House, a superb stylised set by the unsung genius of Hollywood Art Directors - Anton Grot. Add to all this, Steiner's magnificent score, Ernest Hallers deep focus photography and a witty, laconic script by Ranald MacDougall which offers so many memorable lines, and you have a defining example of Holywood's most glamorous noir style. Ann Blyth was nominated as Best Supporting Actress and should have won for her stomach-churning daughter-from-hell - and why she never got better parts afterwards is a mystery. She lives today in retirement and never gives interviews - though I bet she would have plenty to say! Jack Carson is surprisingly effective as the oily Wally Fay [Carson was another wasted actor in Hollywood, rarely getting good roles), Eve Arden is sublime [she has so many great lines;e.g. as Jack Carson eyes her legs she says 'Leave SOMEthing on me!] and Zachary Scott is perfectly cast as the rich, slimy Monty Berrigan. Maybe it does water down the novel but it is so richly entertaining, who cares? Crawford seized this role (after arch-rival Bette Davis turned it down) and gives a superlative performance that is quintessential Crawford. The DVD is nicely done. Warner had the original nitrate camera negative for this film, and the digital frame-by-frame picture restoration is outstanding. The sound track has also been cleaned up, and is a treat for the ear! Buy it NOW before it gets discontinued, and see what style is all about.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Masterpiece, 14 Feb 2008
This review is from: Mildred Pierce (1945) [DVD] (DVD)
Mildred Pierce features the best performance of Joan Crawford's career and it bagged her the Oscar for Best Actress in the process.
She stars as the title character, the doting Mother of two spoiled daughters, the young Kay and the vicious, money hungry Veda.
After Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford) finds out that her husband (Bruce Bennett) has been unfaithful, the pair seperate and ultimately divorce. She is left completely dependent on herself and as a result, has to get a job waitressing to help pay the bills.
Veda - played brilliantly by Ann Blyth, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress - soon becomes sick of the family's hard times and demands that her Mother provide her daughters with a better life. Mildred then seeks advice about opening up her own restaurant from realtor Wally Fay (Jack Carson) who introduces her to Monte Beragon (Zachary Scott), a property owner.
The film begins with Beragon's murder which Mildred admits to immediately and then progresses as she tells her story from the beginning. However, as she relates the events to the police, several different things seem suspect. Is Mildred lying, and if she is, will the truth come out in the end?
An excellent film noir from the Golden Age of cinema, the film was nominated for six Oscars - including Best Picture - and was directed by Michael Curtiz, the director of Casablanca. Joan Crawford is astounding as a desperate woman willing to do anything to protect her ungrateful children. The supporting cast are also on top form and the film is a joy to look at, beautifully photographed and fully restored.
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