Robert Aldrich liked his Hollywood stories - The Big Knife, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, The Greatest Mother of Them All. This one has divided his fans, even though there's a cult around it.
I think I get what this was meant to be (I could be wrong) and feel Aldrich doesn't get there. It's a kind of gothic film - a woman is hired to play the role that was once played by a now-dead movie star. The director who was married to the movie star becomes obsessed with her.
There's much debate over Kim Novak in the lead - is she good or bad? I don't think she's effective here - the film needed someone really able to go there, like Bette Davis did. Tuesday Weld, who played the role on TV, could have done it - she had the touch of madness about her. Jeanne Moreau, originally announced, would've been great. Vivien Leigh if they wanted to go older. Joanne Woodward. Genevieve Page. Reading the lead was inspired by Greta Garbo/Marlene Dietrich made me go
"that's who they should have cast - someone like that". There were people
around
In Novak's defence her voice is dubbed at the end - when she "turns into" Lylah Aldrich uses a German actress voice for her. It's silly.
You don't get the sense Novak loves Peter Finch, or Finch loves her (or the memory of Lylah). Actually you don't get the sense anyone loves each other which is what this needs - Baby Jane had strength because it was about family, and this should be about a makeshift family but isn't.
Also the action should have stuck more at the house - like Sunset Boulevard. They leave the house too much.
Actually now I think about it Sunset Boulevard has the creepy vibe they should have gone for here -references to the old days, old Hollywood. We should have seen more clash with the new Hollywood (which Sunset could do because of the sound-silent break but was easy enough to do with old Hollywood and new Hollywood).
Frustrating. Aldrich didn't nail this but a few changes and he could've had another classic.
No comments:
Post a Comment