Mildred Pierce

There are films that, due to the story they tell and the moment they're released, end up being almost symbolic of the changing times. I think it happened with this film, which is also one of the most interesting in Joan Crawford's career. The story of this film revolves around Mildred Pierce, a married woman who will feel the need to work to support herself. Starting as a simple maid, she will grow up and open the first in a series of restaurants that will make her a wealthy woman. But what interests her most is the happiness of her daughter, Veda, a spoiled and troubled young woman. The film, released in 1945, in the aftermath of the Second World War, could not have been more sharp: with the war, many women needed to work, not only because of the absence of their husbands in the Army but also because of the demand for the war effort. The war was the proof that women needed to realize that they could have a professional life and a career outside, and the domestic environment was not necessarily the woman's single occupation. The film marks this change, the moment when American woman understands that she has space to grow without depending on her husband. Of course, the film is much more than that because Mildred Pierce's life is not easy and exudes freedom and independence, including sexual freedom, in the sense that she can get involved with whoever she wants without being accountable to anyone. It is also a film about prejudices, about how some people feel superior to someone who has recently enriched through hard work. The cast is led by Joan Crawford, who was incredible in her role and deserved, in all fairness, the Oscar for Best Actress, in that distant year of 1946. However, I agree with some critics who said that her character lacks likelihood. Some pointed out the overly selfless way in which Mildred Pierce forgives everything and does everything to please her callous daughter. But I think that a mother who loves her child is capable of everything, even harming herself. That sounds credible to me. What does not seem so credible is the way she chooses to ignore all the rudeness and the ill-mannered ways of her daughter. The way in which Bert Pierce, Mildred's first husband (played by Bruce Bennett) also seems attached to his wife and unable to have a normal life and another relationship also seems unbelievable. Technically, its a regular melodrama, with touches of noir inspiration quite evident in cinematography, lighting and the use of high contrast and plenty of night scenes or in medium light. The sets are very good and were very well thought out. The costumes combine and help to create a pleasant general environment.

Every now and then, you encounter a film from the studio era that perfectly encapsulates the ins and outs of its source material. Films like "The Maltese Falcon" and "Double Indemnity" may change names or condense scenes, but the overall feel of the original project resounds clearly, regardless of the adaptation process. With this film, however, it seems as though something may have gotten lost in the translation from page to screen. Struggling mightily in its attempts to balance the more melodramatic elements with an overarching sense of intrigue, it almost feels as though "Mildred Pierce" uses the innate "shininess" of a murder mystery to detract from the inherent tedium of its second act. Yes, Joan Crawford is fantastic in this, but I simply didn't find her character's financial plights to be of much interest to me. The ending brings a burst of satisfaction as well, but it's fleeting, and as we fade to black, you can't help but feel as though you've been duped into watching characters quibble about money for 100 minutes.