The Smiling Madame Beudet
Well, as you can see from the above picture, Madame was not smiling throughout this movie. I, on the other hand, was. I thought this movie was very well-made compared to other silent movies of the time. Of course, you must remember that my general distaste for silent movies was quelled in this flick because it was very short. And I also may have just liked it because I was really sick of Lillian Gish.
This movie is about a smart lady who is trapped in a marriage without love. She therefore plots to kill her scary-looking husband. This movie is apparently one of the first feminist movies. However, that does not mean that men would not enjoy it. I liked it because a person (not just a woman, a person) was unhappy and was going to do something about it. Granted, I am NOT for killing anything (emphasis on ANYTHING: I am a vegetarian) but I still enjoyed the plot development.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
Only 54 minutes with French subtitles. Actually, if you are interested in the French language you should check it out. I know only rudimentary French and I could read the title cards without looking at the English translations. Needless to say, I felt pretty awesome.
Directed by Germaine Dulac, who is a woman.
Here is the first part on YouTube:
I actually thought her husband was rather sympathetic, except for a cruel game he plays. He seemed genuinely concerned for his wife. Well, it is a long time since I saw it.
ReplyDeleteLong time for me too but now I want to watch it again!
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