Dark Victory
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In Theaters : 22 April, 1939 |
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Dark Victory Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥
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One of Bette's Finest, a True Vehicle for Her Genius
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Any real classic movie fan has seen Dark Victory at least once. Some of us have done so many times. Yes, it's a glossy, beautifully done, soapy story that gives us a young, vital, wealthy, doomed heroine (Ms. Davis) who must cope with a cruel sentence of early death. Yes, it's a good script well-played by a marvelous cast, well-directed by Edmund Goulding, etc., etc.
But why is it still considered such a classic almost SEVENTY YEARS after its release (as this is written)? Other high-class soap operas have had their day and vanished from memory--and from lists of truly good films, if they were ever there to begin with.
Not Dark Victory. And the reason for it, I am convinced, is the genius-level performance of Bette Davis, plain and simple.
Okay, her Judith Traherne has all the standard Davis mannerisms (all of them in their absolute prime in the film, like the star herself)--the manic energy, the emotional wildness, the eloquent manner of her chain-smoking, the voice, the delivery. Such a character in such a movie shouldn't move us so many decades later if it's just a standard "star turn", now should it?
But it does move us--emotionally, deeply.
It is because Davis uses everything she's got to make this character not only a bit overwhelming at times, but very real. Her change of character when she truly understands what she is facing is beautifully, gracefully done and ultimately believable. She goes from wild, self-indulgent, uncaring, spoiled rich woman to someone who through her own tragedy has learned to care for and love others. Very dangerous, cliche-ridden territory for an actress, unless you are Bette Davis, who manages the change not only with emotional realness but intellectual believability as well!
There is an undercurrent of restraint in this at-times flamboyant portrayal, and it is one that I believe Davis deliberately chose for this performance. In her final scene, when she must face her own death, it is with a truly courageous, understated acceptance which nonetheless fully shows her sadness at leaving life.
How could anyone--even Bette Davis--do this and make it so real?
The secret: She never lets her character feel sorry for herself. Rebel against her fate with characteristic self-indulgence, yes. Get angry, yes. But anyone who has seen this woman in her final moments knows that her sorrow (and quiet courage) at the inevitable end which is so close is absolutely devoid of self-pity, and it gives Judith Traherne a quality of magnificence, thanks to Davis.
That is what makes it so heartbreakingly moving, so timeless, so deeply touching.
That is the genius of Bette Davis in this, one of her greatest roles, one that she made great through her matchless talent.
Pick up this title and see what I mean! |
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