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'Dark Victory' & Bette Davis's star image
Essay Instructions:
this paper is for a film class called Illness in the Popular Eye. if you are unsure how to write a paper for a film class please refer to "A Short Guide to Writing About Film" by Timothy Corrigan. (please note this is NOT one of the three sources for this paper)
this is a major paper for this course. The essay question follows:
Bette Davis's star image was that of being independent, forceful and strong. The movie "Dark Victory" early on asserts that the Davis character is doomed by her disease. Discuss how the film tried to negotiate Davis's strength and combative spirit with the reality of her impending death from cancer.
Be as precise as you can, using examples/scenes from the film (please pepper the essay with some of the following film verbage: Frame, editing [fade, dissolve], duration, camera angles [high, low, tilt, overhead, eye-level shots], camera distance [long shot, medium shot, closeup], camera movement [tracking shot, pan shot, crane], lens [wide angle, zoom], focus [sharp, soft, deep], lighting [high key lighting, low key lighting], sound [dialogue, music, sound-effects], etc) to illustrate your critical discussion. (for instance you could say that the use of low camera angle empowers this character, or the two shot frame leads to a feeling of intimacy between the characters)
Please touch on the following ideas: 1: that this is a women's film which also falls under the topic of melodrama.
2: Davis's impulses that are in conflict (example, she wants romance but also wants independence) .
3: women's sacrifice within women's films.
4: Davis's specific performance style (example: clipped speech, strutting walk, etc).
5: how Davis's character (Judith) ultimately faces death alone and on her own terms.
6: Bette Davis films as a star vehicle.
7: style of dress/costume (example: sometimes Davis wears manly clothing).
the sources are:
1: the movie "Dark Victory" 1939 Edmund Goulding
2: Andrew Britton. "A New Servitude: Bette Davis, Now, Voyager, and the Radicalism of the Woman's Film" from Cineaction!, Vol.26/27, CineAction!, ' 1992, 32-41
3: Cathy Klaprat. "The Star as Market Strategy: Bette Davis in Another Light" from The American Film Industry, Tino Balio, ed(s)., 2nd revised edition, University of Wisconsin Press, ' 1985, 351-376
Essay Sample Content Preview:
[Name of the Writer]
[Name of Instructor]
[Subject]
[Date]
"Dark Victory" & Bette Davis's star image
The women`s film genre can be traced back all the way to 1930s during which many of women`s movies were referred to as melodramatics and were mainly based on female narratives having female protagonists, catering mainly to the female audiences and the concerns that women face during their everyday lives. Amongst some of the most popular women`s movies of all time, the film "Dark Victory" remains as one of the most tragic, maudlin and melodramatic American film produced during the year 1939 revolving around the true strength of a woman who sought romance in her life but not at the cost of her own independence and how her iron willed spirit helped her deal with the harsh reality of her impending death (Bordwell). This sensational film was initially written as a play by George Emerson Brewer Jr and then later turned into a screenplay by Casey Robinson starring Bette Davis, Geraldine Fitzgerald, George Brent, Ronald Reagan and Humphrey Bogart. Moreover, under the watchful direction of Edmund Goulding, the film molded itself into one of Hollywood`s most intense woman pictures produced in San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. According to the Warner Bros. studios, the film itself was a huge risk as the story encompassed and circled around an intensive yet demanding theme about a terminally-ill patient with a negative prognosis (Bordwell 7).
The focus of the movie "The Dark Victory" constantly revolves around the role of women in the society today and how they are subjected to harsh cutthroat outlook merely on the basis of the life style that they choose. For instance, when the film, "The Dark Victory" begins, Bette Davis is portrayed as a bold, audacious, independent woman who chooses to live her life on her term and as she pleases but is still looked upon as an individual wasting her life. The story also covers another angle where Bette Davis comes face to face with one of the most brutal truths about her life; her fatal disease where once again women independence is clearly reflected by how she choose to not give up hope and her strong will leads to live whatever time that she has left, making the best out of it (Bordwell 8). Nonetheless, the film has also successfully been able to capture the inner turmoil and confusion that runs through the mind of a woman (in this case Bette Davis) when trying to strike a balance between romance and her own independence.
Bette Davis`s movie "The Dark Victory" is indeed more of a character study rather than beat-by-beat story revolves around the life of a young, carefree heiress and a socialite named Judith Traherne (played by Bette Davis) who believes in living her life on her own terms and has fervor for horses, fast cars, dressing up in manly clothing, partying, drinking and excessive smoking. (Bordwell 9)
She successfully portrays the character of a woman in denial who indulged in pampering herself in the material wealth, assuming that it is real happiness and contentment. However at the same time Betty`s constant headaches, episodes of double vision and dizziness makes it is evident for the viewers that there seems to something wrong with her as she seems to be losing ground each day but her stubborn nature dismisses all these indications, not allowing her to acknowledge or pay heed to any of these indications and proceeds with her life as usual (Bordwell 9).
Soon as a result of unexpected turn of events she lands up in the clinic of Dr. Fredrick Steele (played by George Brent) where she finds out that she has a malignant brain tumor. It is at this point that Judith Traherne (Betty Davis) realizes for the first time what she`s actually missing in life and thereupon embarks on a new journey all set to find true love and romance within the loving embrace of her ever trusted doctor. (Bordwell 10)
Consequently, the audience are once again exposed to yet another fragile side of Davis when she stumbles upon her medical file in her husband`s office while packing and finds out the real truth about her prognosis. Instantly, Bette Davis` independence and ego lets her to believe that Steele was only marrying her out of sheer pity and nothing more and hence decides to break her engagement seeking refuge once again in her former lifestyle surrounded by denial and false happiness. This former lifestyle does not seemed to be as gratifying for Davis as it did before as she yearned for the love and happiness that she shared with her husband and hence decides to spend whatever time that she is left with loved ones in a dignified manner, cherishing each and every moment and making the most out of it rather than wasting it away on things that don`t even matter to her. (Bordwell 10)
Bette Davis`s performance in the final chapters of the film is truly remarkable and a tear jerker for sure where Judith (Bette Davis) realizes that she has now reached to her end and thus bids farewell to everyone dear to her including her dogs and her house keeper after which she walks up to her bed and slowly all the images starts to blur and turn grey for her marking her unfortunate end.
Additionally, cinematography also plays a very crucial role in presenting the story line in a film as objectively as possible but at the same time in the most artistic manner. In the 30s, when the movie. "A Dark Victory" was shot; this was no easy task even for the noteworthy Warner Bros. thus involv...
[Name of Instructor]
[Subject]
[Date]
"Dark Victory" & Bette Davis's star image
The women`s film genre can be traced back all the way to 1930s during which many of women`s movies were referred to as melodramatics and were mainly based on female narratives having female protagonists, catering mainly to the female audiences and the concerns that women face during their everyday lives. Amongst some of the most popular women`s movies of all time, the film "Dark Victory" remains as one of the most tragic, maudlin and melodramatic American film produced during the year 1939 revolving around the true strength of a woman who sought romance in her life but not at the cost of her own independence and how her iron willed spirit helped her deal with the harsh reality of her impending death (Bordwell). This sensational film was initially written as a play by George Emerson Brewer Jr and then later turned into a screenplay by Casey Robinson starring Bette Davis, Geraldine Fitzgerald, George Brent, Ronald Reagan and Humphrey Bogart. Moreover, under the watchful direction of Edmund Goulding, the film molded itself into one of Hollywood`s most intense woman pictures produced in San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. According to the Warner Bros. studios, the film itself was a huge risk as the story encompassed and circled around an intensive yet demanding theme about a terminally-ill patient with a negative prognosis (Bordwell 7).
The focus of the movie "The Dark Victory" constantly revolves around the role of women in the society today and how they are subjected to harsh cutthroat outlook merely on the basis of the life style that they choose. For instance, when the film, "The Dark Victory" begins, Bette Davis is portrayed as a bold, audacious, independent woman who chooses to live her life on her term and as she pleases but is still looked upon as an individual wasting her life. The story also covers another angle where Bette Davis comes face to face with one of the most brutal truths about her life; her fatal disease where once again women independence is clearly reflected by how she choose to not give up hope and her strong will leads to live whatever time that she has left, making the best out of it (Bordwell 8). Nonetheless, the film has also successfully been able to capture the inner turmoil and confusion that runs through the mind of a woman (in this case Bette Davis) when trying to strike a balance between romance and her own independence.
Bette Davis`s movie "The Dark Victory" is indeed more of a character study rather than beat-by-beat story revolves around the life of a young, carefree heiress and a socialite named Judith Traherne (played by Bette Davis) who believes in living her life on her own terms and has fervor for horses, fast cars, dressing up in manly clothing, partying, drinking and excessive smoking. (Bordwell 9)
She successfully portrays the character of a woman in denial who indulged in pampering herself in the material wealth, assuming that it is real happiness and contentment. However at the same time Betty`s constant headaches, episodes of double vision and dizziness makes it is evident for the viewers that there seems to something wrong with her as she seems to be losing ground each day but her stubborn nature dismisses all these indications, not allowing her to acknowledge or pay heed to any of these indications and proceeds with her life as usual (Bordwell 9).
Soon as a result of unexpected turn of events she lands up in the clinic of Dr. Fredrick Steele (played by George Brent) where she finds out that she has a malignant brain tumor. It is at this point that Judith Traherne (Betty Davis) realizes for the first time what she`s actually missing in life and thereupon embarks on a new journey all set to find true love and romance within the loving embrace of her ever trusted doctor. (Bordwell 10)
Consequently, the audience are once again exposed to yet another fragile side of Davis when she stumbles upon her medical file in her husband`s office while packing and finds out the real truth about her prognosis. Instantly, Bette Davis` independence and ego lets her to believe that Steele was only marrying her out of sheer pity and nothing more and hence decides to break her engagement seeking refuge once again in her former lifestyle surrounded by denial and false happiness. This former lifestyle does not seemed to be as gratifying for Davis as it did before as she yearned for the love and happiness that she shared with her husband and hence decides to spend whatever time that she is left with loved ones in a dignified manner, cherishing each and every moment and making the most out of it rather than wasting it away on things that don`t even matter to her. (Bordwell 10)
Bette Davis`s performance in the final chapters of the film is truly remarkable and a tear jerker for sure where Judith (Bette Davis) realizes that she has now reached to her end and thus bids farewell to everyone dear to her including her dogs and her house keeper after which she walks up to her bed and slowly all the images starts to blur and turn grey for her marking her unfortunate end.
Additionally, cinematography also plays a very crucial role in presenting the story line in a film as objectively as possible but at the same time in the most artistic manner. In the 30s, when the movie. "A Dark Victory" was shot; this was no easy task even for the noteworthy Warner Bros. thus involv...
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