Mildred Pierce (1945)

An independent woman in the 40s? Something must be done to put her in her place! Directed by Michael Curtiz.

Mildred Pierce is certainly an interesting film. While I can't say that I'm crazy about it, its look at a woman in the forties is a different one. Mildred starts her life as a homemaker, making cakes and caring for her daughter and husband. But she has spoiled her daughter, and her husband cheats on her, finally leaving to be with another woman. Mildred has to make it on her own, and ends up becoming very successful: from working as a waitress in a restuarant, she builds her own restuarant chain.

But she continues to have problems with her daughter and the man in her life. He used to be rich, but has fallen on hard times, and sees Mildred as an easy way to return to the lifestyle he's used to. It's a twisty plot, but it ends with his death and Mildred's questioning for his murder. I would reveal what happens, but I don't want to ruin the surprise.

The gender roles in this film were what interested me the most. Joan Crawford won an Oscar for her performance, and she does a great job. Interesting to me is that while she becomes a strong and independent female, her character still seems to long for the easy life she used to have, where she was just a wife and home maker. I'm not sure if this is due to the social constraints of when the film was made, or whether it was something intended for her character.