My fellow Day Zero goal achieving hero LoveMuffins and I set out to watch some movies that we have in common for our goals. [My goal #54 (see every movie that's won a “Best Picture” Oscar 2/85) and her goal #70 (watch all movies on the AFI 100 Years Movie List).]
The first two that we had in common and were also readily available to us were All About Eve (1950) and On The Waterfront (1954). Since LoveMuffins already wrote a review that nearly mirrors my thoughts about the movie, I will not bore our shared readers by writing one of my own. I will simply direct you to hers here.
All About Eve (1950)
Now, I hadn't looked up anything about this movie before seeing it. And looking at the poster for it, you would think it was another histrionic drama (like, ahem, On The Waterfront). But this movie turned out to be hilarious!
The basic plot is that a seemingly naive young girl wants to become her just like her actress idol. Having the background in theatre that I do, I greatly enjoyed all of the poking fun that it does at the theatre world.
However, I found it troubling that women seem to be consistently cast in a bad light in these older movies. Margo, the big time actress, is portrayed as having low self esteem, and she's often crazy, jealous, weak, manipulative, dependent on men, vain, rude, and paranoid. Not a very pretty picture.
Meanwhile the aspiring actress, Eve, is portrayed as young, naïve, and stupid until ultimately proved grasping, scheming, and manipulative. Even the women with smaller parts are portrayed as stupid, manipulative, greedy, and vain. Here are a few quotes that stuck out to me as particularly offensive:
Miss Caswell (played by Marilyn Monroe): “Now there's something a girl could make sacrifices for: sable.”
Max: “Sable? Did she say sable or Gable?
Miss Caswell: “Either one.”
Ugh!
The only things she can make sacrifices for are expensive possessions or handsome men?
Margot: “That's one career all females have in common - whether we like it or not - being a woman. Sooner or later we've all got to work at it, no matter what other careers we've had or wanted. And, in the last analysis, nothing is any good unless you can look up just before dinner or turn around in bed - and there he is. Without that, you're not woman. You're something with a French provincial office or a book full of clippings- but you're not a woman... slow curtain. The end.”
Double ugh!
Careers are pointless because without a man, you're not a woman and life is meaningless?! I couldn't believe that that monologue was for real. But not only was it for real, it was one of the most serious parts of the entire movie.
Aside from all this, there were great parts of the movie as well. Margo's boyfriend is the perfect balance to her craziness. He is kind and understanding, but he doesn't put up with her nonsense. He tells her how he feels and listen to her when she rants. Yet he doesn't hesitate to tell her to stop when she has crossed the line. And when the beautiful young Eve tries to seduce him, he tells her off in no uncertain terms.
And, the scheming and grasping Eve does get what's coming to her in the end. That part was very satisfying.
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