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My research paper ended up being about 1940's "women's films". I found it interesting that the most radical film I saw was I Remember Mama, which lacks a romantic interest for Katrin and never once is such a thing even mentioned. Perhaps at the time it was assumed that Katrin would eventually give up her writing to get married and raise a family, but it is never even alluded to within the narrative itself. Thus, the most domestic of the five films turned out the most radical.
Even in Gaslight, which, it could be argued, presents a powerful critique of the traditional institution of marriage, ends with the expectation that Paula will end up married to the "good" detective who saved her from her evil, European husband. The socialization techniques are quite apparent.
Mrs. Miniver was an interesting film on a number of levels. I found difficulty in reconciling the inherent contradiction in this woman becoming strong and self-sufficient in the fight for a society which derides such personality traits in women. Despite this, however, some of the scenes, particularly of the bombings and attacks, and most especially the scene with the family holed up in the bomb shelter, were very powerful, effective pieces of filmmaking. Overall, it's an extremely well-made film, despite the oddities and contradictions in its portrayal of "idealized" femininity.
In non-paper-writing news, I find myself enamored of L'Homme du Train. One of my colleagues described it as being in the same vein as a "geriatric western" - he was certainly being facetious, but there is something to the phrase, I think. Much of the film deals with regret, in all its forms: the fond sort of regret one feels at having made certain choices but not others, wondering how one's life may have been different; the regret one feels at having made a patently bad choice and being forced to live with the consequences of that choice, etc. I think, though, that it's not often easy to tell which kind of regret the characters are feeling at any given moment. It really adds something to the film as a whole, that wondering and regret.
Even in Gaslight, which, it could be argued, presents a powerful critique of the traditional institution of marriage, ends with the expectation that Paula will end up married to the "good" detective who saved her from her evil, European husband. The socialization techniques are quite apparent.
Mrs. Miniver was an interesting film on a number of levels. I found difficulty in reconciling the inherent contradiction in this woman becoming strong and self-sufficient in the fight for a society which derides such personality traits in women. Despite this, however, some of the scenes, particularly of the bombings and attacks, and most especially the scene with the family holed up in the bomb shelter, were very powerful, effective pieces of filmmaking. Overall, it's an extremely well-made film, despite the oddities and contradictions in its portrayal of "idealized" femininity.
In non-paper-writing news, I find myself enamored of L'Homme du Train. One of my colleagues described it as being in the same vein as a "geriatric western" - he was certainly being facetious, but there is something to the phrase, I think. Much of the film deals with regret, in all its forms: the fond sort of regret one feels at having made certain choices but not others, wondering how one's life may have been different; the regret one feels at having made a patently bad choice and being forced to live with the consequences of that choice, etc. I think, though, that it's not often easy to tell which kind of regret the characters are feeling at any given moment. It really adds something to the film as a whole, that wondering and regret.
posted by Chantal at
5:01 PM
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