A story of “social inequity and opportunity in America" set during the Great Depression, Mildred Pierce follows the trajectory of a lower-middle class divorcee with two children in her tragic struggle to achieve financial and personal success.

What was the point of Mildred Pierce?

Beneath the sheen of glamour and the throb of melodrama, Mildred Pierce (1945) is an acute, unsparing study of relationships poisoned by class and money.

Why is Mildred Pierce an important figure in film noir?

Certainly emblematic of the woman's integration into the workforce that transpired during WWII, MILDRED PIERCE vindicates working class ideals are not gender specific, along with the popular notion that hard work gets one ahead in American society.

What is the premise of the Mildred Pierce?

Summaries. A hard-working mother inches towards disaster as she divorces her husband and starts a successful restaurant business to support her spoiled daughter.

Is Mildred Pierce a feminist film?

' Mildred Pierce, because it has been the subject of so much feminist analysis, both theoretical and historical, is an ideal film to use for this purpose. Mildred Pierce is the story of an overly-devoted mother framed within a mur- der mystery.

Mildred Pierce: Joan Crawford, A Mini Series and the Great Depression

What is the purpose of feminist film theory?

Feminist film theory came into being in the early 1970s with the aim of understanding cinema as a cultural practice that represents and reproduces myths about women and femininity.

Is Mildred Pierce a femme fatale?

This portrayal seems to paint Mildred Piece as the stereotypical femme fatale, begging for an ending where Mildred reveals her malicious intentions before being dragged off to jail. However, MILDRED PIERCE takes a turn, creating a new female archetype: The Femme Modern.

Why does Mildred have to get a divorce from Bert?

The night winds down, and Monty bonds with Veda before seducing Mildred again at her home. Taking Wally's advice, Mildred divorces Bert to improve her financial standing for her business. As Mildred's relationship with Monty progresses, he becomes more and more dependent on her income.

Is Mildred Pierce based on a true story?

The Postman Always Rings Twice, filmed several times, is barely 130 pages; Mildred Pierce is not much longer. The story was based on real life. Cain knew Kate Cummings, the single mother of actress Constance Cummings, who had sacrificed her career for her daughter's glory.

What happens to the daughter in Mildred Pierce?

On Wally's advice, Mildred starts divorce proceedings against Bert to protect her new business. She also starts dating Monte, a wastrel from old but rapidly dwindling money. Mildred's younger daughter Kay contracts pneumonia and dies.

How does Mildred Pierce end?

There's no denying the dark side: Mildred loses both her daughters, Monty, her business, and ends up right back where she started, married to Bert in the same little house in Glendale, committing herself as you say to a “let's get stinko” resignation and oblivion.

Who killed Mildred Pierce's husband?

When Monte tells Veda he would never marry her because she is a "rotten little tramp", she shoots him with Mildred's gun. Veda begs her mother to help conceal the murder; Mildred reluctantly agrees.

Is Mildred Pierce a good movie?

The deeply melodramatic movie is a riveting portrait of maternal sacrifice. Mildred Pierce features a dynamite performance from Joan Crawford but the story itself could use some improvements. March 7, 2023 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Why did Veda hate Mildred?

Biography. Veda treats her mother like dirt, looking down on her for working for a living (which is actually Mildred working to afford Veda's expensive lifestyle). Veda turns into a murderer near the end of the movie when she shoots her step-father because he refuses to marry Veda.

Why is Mildred a victim?

Bradbury presents Mildred as a true victim of the society she lives in: vapid, shallow, and emotionally disconnected. Beatty says, "There are no consequences and no responsibilities.

Who is the daughter in Mildred Pierce?

Mildred's elder daughter, Veda is musically gifted and solipsistic. She is obsessed with social standing and has an eye for the finer things in life.

How old was Kate Winslet in Mildred Pierce?

Kate Winslet found this out recently while filming Mildred Pierce for HBO. The period piece required Pearce, 43, to drive an unwieldy 1929 Cord automobile with heavy steering and awkward gears. And at one point, with Winslet, 35, in the passenger seat, they had a very close call.

How old was Ann Blyth in the movie Mildred Pierce?

Blyth was only 16 when she made the Michael Curtiz film. (Crawford won the Best Actress award for that film). After Mildred Pierce, Blyth sustained a broken back while tobogganing in Snow Valley and was not able to fully capitalize on the film's success.

Who did the opera singing in Mildred Pierce?

Veda's singing parts were actually performed by world-renowned coloratura soprano, Sumi Jo. The filmmakers used some of Jo's existing recordings along with new recordings made specifically for this movie.

Why is Mildred always watching TV?

Mildred responds that the characters in the televisions shows are her “family,” an attachment she expresses throughout the novel. This is an example of how technology is used to replace human connection.

Is Mildred addicted to TV?

Montag realizes that besides the sleeping pills, that Mildred's addiction to the screen walls (TV screens) have come between them and their marriage. "Wasn't there a wall between him and Mildred...

Why does Mildred prefer the family to books?

Mildred also says, “Books aren't people, my family is people. They tell me things; I laugh, they laugh. And the colors!” (34). She seems to find television more tangible than books.

Who are the men in Mildred Pierce?

Who is the most popular femme fatale?

Arguably cinema's most famous and recognizable femme fatale, Barbara Stanwyck's Phyllis Dietrichson is also one of the medium's most celebrated villains. A provocative, ambitious, cold housewife plotting against her unsuspecting husband, Phyllis embodies what mainstream audiences think the femme fatale is.

Who is the queen of film noir?

Claire Trevor (1910-2000) is best remembered as the alluring blonde femme fatale in such iconic noir films as Murder, My Sweet (1944) and Raw Deal (1948). Yet she was a versatile performer who brought rare emotional depth to her art.