Learning of a Criterion UK sale taking place,I went to the local HMV to see the latest movies on offer. Aware for some time of the director, but sadly not having seen anything she has done, I was happily surprised to discover that Criterion has released one of her titles, which led to me going to Hell.
View on the film:
Although featuring a prominent amount of grain, Criterion still present a very good transfer with sparkling audio, backed by interesting extras.
Working for the fourth, and final time with the director, Fredric March gives a terrific turn as Jerry, whose charming manner March pours down the drain as Jerry sinks deeper into the bottle,with attempts to stay on the straight and narrow, being expressed by March with a nervous quiver, due to being unable to stop his marriage from crumbling under his alcoholism.
Putting aside doubts raised by her dad as they exchange vows, Sylvia Sidney gives a fantastic, complex performance as Joan, (who like Sidney, is an only child in the movie) who during the meet-cute breezy Rom-Com early stages of the romance is given a passion by Sidney, which as cracks begin to appear in the relationship with her husband, Sidney mixes into the sadness surrounding Joan, leaving her with one foot in extreme false happiness, and the other in utter despair.
Intelligently transferring superb passages of dialogue directly from Cleo Lucas's story I, Jerry, Take Thee, Joan, the screenplay by To Be Or Not To Be (1942-also reviewed) writer Edwin Justus Mayer laces wicked Pre-Code double entendre, with a bittersweet ,under stated Melodrama, which explores the view of society in this period of women having to stay in marriage, even when the rose- tinted outer appearance, has been seen by all as an attempt to hide the decay sinking deep into the veins of the relationship.
Changing the ending from Lucas's tale, Mayer magnificently leaves J&J's romance with a large slice of pessimism, from Jerry and Joan finding their marriage being caught in rebirth and death, that feeds an ambiguity in the final vow Jerry makes to Joan.
For the final film she made at Paramount, (who were making cuts across all parts of the studio, due to serious money problems at the time) directing auteur Dorothy Arzner is joined by The Crime of the Century 1933-also reviewed) cinematographer David Abel in sweeping across the skyline in a stunning opening shot which lands on a balcony where Jerry's face is deep in bottles.
Standing back to display the hollow institution of marriage (breaking the facade of institutions being a major recurring theme in Arzner's works) Arzner beautifully fills each room with glowing close-ups on the tragically joyful tears of Joan merrily going to Hell.
View on the film:
Although featuring a prominent amount of grain, Criterion still present a very good transfer with sparkling audio, backed by interesting extras.
Working for the fourth, and final time with the director, Fredric March gives a terrific turn as Jerry, whose charming manner March pours down the drain as Jerry sinks deeper into the bottle,with attempts to stay on the straight and narrow, being expressed by March with a nervous quiver, due to being unable to stop his marriage from crumbling under his alcoholism.
Putting aside doubts raised by her dad as they exchange vows, Sylvia Sidney gives a fantastic, complex performance as Joan, (who like Sidney, is an only child in the movie) who during the meet-cute breezy Rom-Com early stages of the romance is given a passion by Sidney, which as cracks begin to appear in the relationship with her husband, Sidney mixes into the sadness surrounding Joan, leaving her with one foot in extreme false happiness, and the other in utter despair.
Intelligently transferring superb passages of dialogue directly from Cleo Lucas's story I, Jerry, Take Thee, Joan, the screenplay by To Be Or Not To Be (1942-also reviewed) writer Edwin Justus Mayer laces wicked Pre-Code double entendre, with a bittersweet ,under stated Melodrama, which explores the view of society in this period of women having to stay in marriage, even when the rose- tinted outer appearance, has been seen by all as an attempt to hide the decay sinking deep into the veins of the relationship.
Changing the ending from Lucas's tale, Mayer magnificently leaves J&J's romance with a large slice of pessimism, from Jerry and Joan finding their marriage being caught in rebirth and death, that feeds an ambiguity in the final vow Jerry makes to Joan.
For the final film she made at Paramount, (who were making cuts across all parts of the studio, due to serious money problems at the time) directing auteur Dorothy Arzner is joined by The Crime of the Century 1933-also reviewed) cinematographer David Abel in sweeping across the skyline in a stunning opening shot which lands on a balcony where Jerry's face is deep in bottles.
Standing back to display the hollow institution of marriage (breaking the facade of institutions being a major recurring theme in Arzner's works) Arzner beautifully fills each room with glowing close-ups on the tragically joyful tears of Joan merrily going to Hell.