MILDRED PIERCE
#1 In her article, “The Genre”, Jeanine Basinger says there are 3 main purposes of the Woman’s Film. Which purpose (choose one) do you think best describes the messages in Mildred Pierce? Explain why.
As
the Genre of the movie “Mildred Pierce” (1945), the purpose of the messages would
be “to provide a Temporary visual release” (Basinger). Although she has endured
to be in the stereotype that women tend to be home for the family and children
as a mother and wife at the beginning, she decided to get out of it by
splitting up with her husband who cheated on her and making her own restaurant
business to raise her children by herself. It shows that she chose her life not
to be a sacrifice, just being an obedient person for men and society. She tried
to be independent and successful in her career as well as a good mother. It
seems like she made a choice of freedom as a woman in that time, however, she
ended up not able to have both a happy family and a successful career. She had
a financial problem due to her overspending on her daughter and supporting
Monte. In spite of her making good money by opening 5 restaurants, her daughter
(Veda) still did not like her and kept on manipulating Mildred because Mildred
became wealthy. Moreover, Veda was flirting
with Monte which totally betrayed Mildred and ultimately became a murder by
killing him. By going through these events, she found out that her ex-husband
(Bert) was generous so she went back to him at the end of the movie. In short,
this movie introduces the audience to the other choice women can possibly have
in life which relates to their freedom. However, it also illustrates that women
cannot have everything such as both love and career, besides giving a
suggestion that having love is better choice for them. Therefore, the movie “Mildred Pierce” can be
defined by the genre of “Liberation”, which was described as “ Put a woman at
the center of the universe, show her making a choice that takes her outside of
ordinary behavior, then put her back into her fold” by Jeanine Beringer (p.20).
#2 Into which Women’s Film category (Molly Haskell’s four
categories) would you place Mildred Pierce? Why? (Use the Woman’s Film Lecture
notes for this question).
The
movie “Mildred Pierce” (1945) is defined as “Sacrifice” by Molly Haskell’s four
categories through Mildred’s life because in her whole life, she dedicated her
life to her family (especially for her daughter). For example, she supported
their income by making pies at the same time she was doing house work and being
a good mother and wife. Besides, she endured by being silent and a good wife
for a little while after learning her husband is cheating on her. In addition,
after splitting up with her husband, she was working so hard at a restaurant to
raise her daughters by herself even though her daughters think it is
embarrassing to work for a common person’s wage. Moreover, she was always
thinking about her daughter throughout the movie by giving many things Veda
wanted to make her happy even though Veda hates her. One of the reasons why she
was trying to work hard is to become rich so she could meet her daughter’s
expectation. However, Veda never appreciates it and disrespects her; she was
just using Mildred as a bank. Another way she sacrificed is her relationships
with men. For example, at first, her husband was cheating on her. Then, the guy
(Monte) she got the place for her restaurant from was also cheating on her.
Besides, both relationships had money issues as well that she was supporting
them by her income. Throughout this movie, she was always struggling about
something, for her men, daughters and business.
#3 Robin Morrison contends that Mildred cannot be seen as a
“good mother” because she’s working outside the home – in what ways is she
shown to be a “Bad mother”? Please differentiate here between your personal
opinion and critical analysis; you want to employ critical analysis and situate
Mildred Pierce as a representative icon of patriarchal structures and sexist
ideologies. Try to disengage here from what your personal beliefs are on this
matter.
We
believe Mildred was just trying to be a good mother for her daughters by trying
to give them a better life. However, she made some mistakes that made her a bad
mother by focusing her attention on her successful career and spoiling her
daughter so much. First of all, she should not have gotten divorced with her
husband until her children grew up enough if she thought of her daughters’
happiness most. In that time, it was still a patriarchal society, so that
children could have had a hard time to be in a single parent family by being
discriminated upon. She should have known that she would have gone through a
difficult time because there were sexist ideologies in that time period which put
men first. Another example of her being a
bad mother is that as she was busy to prepare for the opening of her restaurant,
she could not catch the sign of Kay’s pneumonia even though Kay (younger
daughter) was coughing before their going away with their father for a holiday.
It shows that she put her work first before motherhood. However, the incident of
losing Kay made her put more attention to the other daughter (Veda). Since
then, she was working hard more and more and trying to make Veda happy by
giving her anything she wanted because to have a luxurious life is her wish.
For Veda’s need, moreover, Mildred has tried to marry with Monte with a deal
even though she did not love him. Furthermore, she tried to cover Veda’s crime.
Throughout her life, even though she chose everything for her daughter, which
is a mother’s love, she produced a monster who thinks being rich is the most
important thing in life. This illustrates that she chose the wrong way to be a
good mother. We strongly believe that being a good mother is not only giving
anything children want, but also teaching appreciation for life as well as
supporting them mentally. Therefore, we agree with what Robin Morrison (1998)
said, “Because she is a mother, her actions are understandable, but it is also
because she is a mother that she must be reprimanded for her conduct. Her
motivations, even when they are completely selfless, inevitable lead to her
unhappiness” (p.3).
#4 Kathryn D’Alessandro describes how many of the visual images
(cinematography, lightning) in Mildred Pierce are reminiscent of film noir.
Explain how. (You can also refer to notes from 1940’s FILM NOIR Lecture notes).
In
the movie “Mildred Pierce,” it includes murder, dramatic shadow style,
lightning effects, gun shots, and a reflection in the mirror of the murder
scene. These effects remind the audience of the film noir by having its
components and it was portrayed based on it. Having black and white movie
reminds us that it was way back in the 1940’s and the effects emphasize a
strong mood that includes flashbacks in the scene when Mildred was narrating
what happened on the night when the murder took place. All of these dramatic
styles were used in the movie and gives the audience a suspense feeling of
suspense from the opening scene.
#6 Mildred Pierce is representative of a mix between the “male
gaze” and the “female gaze”. Explain how, using the FILM NOIR and
PSYCHOANALYTIC Theory lecture notes as well as the web link on DEFINING THE
FEMALE GAZE. “Mildred Pierce” has one femme fatale. Who plays the femme fatal
and how does she fit this stereotype?
The
movie “Mildred Pierce” is representative of a mix between the “male gaze” and
the “female gaze”. For example, Veda danced and sang songs at a bar because
Monte taught her that is a good job for her which is totally the image of women
as an sex object for the gaze of men. Monte perceived not only Veda but also
Mildred to his own sexuality. In the movie, the three men (Monte, Bent, and Wally)
went after Mildred who is intelligent, independent and strong woman which is a
relation to the film noir, Freud’s psychoanalytic theory “Oedipus Complex” (Freud).
It is “a concept which the male subconscious’ needs and desires vis-a vis the
mother, justifying men’s privileged status in society”. On the other hand,
women (Mildred and Veda) chose men who are not that handsome but they are kind,
supportive and giving love because women see men different way. According to
ScienceDaily (2012, July 25), “women were more easily recognizable in the
context of men’s whole bodies instead of their various sexual body parts” (para.
12).
In
the movie “Mildred Pierce”, Mildred’s older daughter, Veda, is the femme
fatale. Veda is a beautiful, intelligent and dangerous woman who manipulates
many people including Mildred. She flirted with Monte as well as she deceived
Ted (millionaire) to get money by lying that she was pregnant. Moreover, in the end, she killed Monte when
she noticed he did not love her, which is she put the man into ruin. Overall,
she tries to deceive men by using her beauty and body sexually, only for
achieving her dream to be rich as well as kill Monte. These show that she is exactly
the “Vamp”.
REFERENCE:
Beringer,
J. (Ed.). The Genre: A Woman’s View from lecture note
D’Alessandro,
K. (2002). Noir #2 Linking styles: “Mildred Pierce”. Audience Magazine
Film
Noir & Psychoanalytic Theory from lecture note
Haskell,
M. (1987). From Revenge to Rape (2nd ed.). The University of Chicago Press.
How
Our Brains See Men as People and Women as Body Parts: Both
Genders Process Images of
Men,
Women Differently. (2012, July 25). Science Daily. Retrieved
October 7, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120725150215.htm
Morrison,
Robin (1998). Mildred Pierce and His Girl Friday: Portrait of Working Women in
the
Pre- and Post-World War Period. Queen’s
University Film Studies.
The
Woman’s Film from lecture note
