George Cukor ("Gone with the Wind", "My Fair Lady") brings together a ensemble of elegant, beautiful, and classy ladies...or so we think! Peaking behind the curtain into the life of Mary Haines(Norma Shearer) and her journey through the change of a lifetime.
Acting: "Women: can't live with them, can't live without them!" Well, that's how the saying goes, but in my case, I CAN live with them, and I can't live without them! A cast of talented women, and only women, and this movie couldn't look any better if it tried. Each actress from Joan Crawford's character of the seductive Crystal Allen to Rosalind Russell as Sylvia Fowler, the witty and passionate friend. This cast was full of talent, and I couldn't have seen a better choice for these roles.
Fun Fact: not only were all the actresses in the film female, but the animals used in the scenes were female as well. Consistency!
Editing/Cinematography: The first thing I think of when I think of the editing and the cinematography of this film is the fashion show. By far, one of the most beautiful displays of fashion and color in a movie. Throughout this film, it's black and white, but during the fashion show, we see vibrant reds, cool blues, vicious greens, and then gowns upon gowns of amazing taste. Robert Kern, the editor made wonderful choices on the entire film, wonderful close ups of emotion, and a long shot of an army of women surrounding Mary Haines (Shearer) as she faces the harsh truth of her marriage.
Musics/Sound Editing: The sound editing was well done. I appreciated that the editor was able to save the music for very crucial moments in the film, such as moments of realization and other times of absolute panic. The piece featured some very lovely music, nothing that would truly stand out to me, but I did appreciate the effect it had on a particular set of lines. But it was also the lack of music that drew attention to the lines. As the saying goes, "Less is more."
Production: In addition to putting together a cast of beautiful and talented actresses, the sets were impeccable dressed, but the costuming was phenomenal. According to sources, the costume designer Adrian ("The Wizard of Oz") in addition to making the costumes for the main cast, had to make additional gowns and costumes for a Techincolor fashion show, totaling at 200 gowns! Wonderfully put together pieces that made everything expensive and made me want to be a rich housewife too!
Writing: The story and the dialogue has got to be one of my favorite parts of this piece. The lines were some of the best parts, especially considering the cleverness of the play on words used. Paired with the delivery from the actresses, and it makes for a fantastic web of gossip and intrigue, love and passion. I particularly love the look at how love is treated, especially from the female perspective. Women have always been seen as kind, gentle creatures. But "The Women" shows that they hurt too, and when you mess with the bull you get the horns! Amazingly put together dialogue with fantastic story and passionate deliveries.
Final Grade: This film always makes me giddy and happy. The gossip, the fashion, the pure unadulterated image of women in an exaggerated, but true to real life depiction. It's a jungle out there, Jungle Red.
FINAL GRADE= A
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