|
Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy Starring: Patricia McCormack, Nancy Kelly The Bad Seed is an excellent movie based around Rhoda Penmark (Patricia McCormack), a pretty 9-year-old girl, and her mother, Christine Penmark (Nancy Kelly). However, this girl is almost totally amoral, and driven by affluence to the point of murder (She kills for the most meaningless trinkets). Not only does she kill multiple times during the movie, but after every kill she can be seen skipping away, or playing a peppy ditty on her piano. I don't want to give away any more of the plot other than that, but I will tell you that it's dark, engaging, and many of the scenes are very powerful. I was amazed at what this movie got away with considering the time period (1956). This movie contains graphic depictions of murder,(Okay, you never see anything really, but the characters talk about it, and you know what’s happening) and the most amoral child I have ever seen. Not to mention that this movie could go toe toe with any of today’s modern thrillers. Frankly, I haven't seen such a chilling movie based around a child murderer made anytime before or after this one. The cinematography manages to pull off some very nice tricks, despite the limited environments. The scene where Rhoda throws her shoes into the incinerator, and the scene where Christine gives Rhoda sleeping pills both stick with me. This movie is based off a play, which is based on a novel. I can't help but think that if the movie was based off the novel rather than the play, it would have been a 5/5. First of all, this movie takes place almost entirely in one room, as many plays do. However, movies have the luxury of changing scenery without having to worry about an audience, and I don't feel as though the director used that to his full advantage. Several of "The Bad Seed's" stars came right off of the Broadway play to do this movie, and it shows. Typically the level of "acting" is more pronounced in a play than it is in a movie, and the actors in this movie over act, if only a little bit. Not enough to ruin the movie, but enough to pull the viewer out of the story every now and again. My other complaint is with the ending, which is better in the play than in the movie. In the play, Rhoda is alive and well at the end. However, due to 1956 movie regulations, murderers were not allowed to go unpunished in movies, so in the movie Rhoda dies at the end. I feel as though this harms the film's message. Many times murderers go unpunished, especially if they have the charisma of Ms. McCormack's character. Also, this movie’s ending is somewhat cheesy. All in all a great movie, I can't tell you all the positive aspects of it without ruining the plot, so I'll recommend that you just watch it. You will not regret it. RATING: 4.5 PROS: Incredibly dark, chilling, and interesting. Groundbreaking for 1956 thrillers. CONS: The Broadway ending is better. Many of the stars are from the Broadway play, and consequently they tend to over act. Also, because this is based on a play almost all of the action occurs in one room. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048977/
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2004 06:53
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 16, 2024 23:09 |
|