Simply A Masterpiece

brilliant actors, brilliant editing

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

It's not a complete review, but only a review of the main theme of this movie. As the whole movie presents the story, it is told by different characters. The fact that their stories are in order and help us to understand the story very clear is very nice. Also, the points of view are considered very well, by means of for example everyone is able to state only the part that he/she was available. However, the stories are told as facts, not as parts of facts that were perceived by flesh and blood humans. Humans are full of emotions and values, just like the house-keeper who was exaggeratedly jealous. They should have told their stories from their points of view, by means of the very story itself not only the place. Although their judges and dialogues in the court were value-based, but their stories were the exact reality (I suppose that the reason is to make the story as straight-forward as possible).

Joan Crawford (Anna) is on trial for the murder of her boyfriend Conrad Veidt (Torsten). We follow her story in flashback as told by selected witnesses before the judge makes his decision.This is an entertaining film with many memorable scenes, eg, Anna contemplating killing the child Richard Nichols (Lars-Erik) by unlocking the safety gate as he leans against it while travelling on a cable car. You just know that she's capable and the scene is very tense. Another is the scene where Crawford has gone round to blackmail Osa Massen (Vera) about having an affair and a situation unfolds where Crawford slaps Massen. She does it several times and she really means it! The main characters all do well with Crawford stealing the show as the bitter woman with a scarred face who has reconciled herself to a life of blackmailing others. Crawford's performance allows the audience to sympathize with this rather nasty character as the film evolves. The minor characters are OK but the film does contain an extremely annoying Donald Meek who plays 'Herman' the barman. He plays for comedy. He's not funny.It's an engaging film - far-fetched but go along with it and it will entertain you.

Yes, Joan is great, and she looks quite luminous in several scenes. However, If you were hoping for the evil, scar-faced she-devil promised by the stills and advertising, don't hold your breath.By the time you slog though the Nordic'regional' costumes and 'folkloric' dances midway through the film, you'll wonder why you thought this film was going to offer you any noir-ish thrills. Maybe as long as you are not led-astray to think you are getting a film with any real noir-qualities besides being black and white, perhaps you won't be as disappointed as I was.For me, the shift off to the hokey winter wonderland pretty well kills off any depth the film may have seemed to promise, as well as any realism or momentum to keep me interested.But wait! Just when I was wondering how the VERY promising premise of the film could go so wrong, there is a high-speed sleigh-ride chase. Now *that's* different. Over-all, I see this film as an opportunity missed...

This takes place in Sweden. Anna Holm (Joan Crawford) is a blackmailer with a disfiguring scar on her face. Because of the scar she hates herself and everybody else. She meets Torsten Barring (Conrad Veidt) who lives beyond his means and needs her help. She gets her face fixed by kind Dr. Gustaf Segert (Melvyn Douglas). She's happy and free--but can't escape her evil past completely.Strange movie. It's well-made with top MGM production values and starts off as an interesting psychological drama. However, after Crawford's face is fixed, the psychological angle is dropped and it turns into another one of her women pictures. That's not a bad thing (I actually like womens pictures) but it started out so differently--and more interesting. Still it is a good movie and looks incredible. Also director George Cukor somehow got Crawford to underplay her role and it works beautifully. For once she reins in her tendency to over emote and gives a thoughtful good performance. The rest of the cast is fine except for Marjorie Main who seems WAY out of place as a Swedish woman! Still it's worth catching. I give it a 7.