The Strange Woman

In the era of psychoanalysis we are forced to look at a figure like the one in this film in a different way. There was a time when villains were at the melodramatic best and we could see them as one dimensional. This young woman is the product alcoholism and manipulation. She has good and she has bad. The bad usually wins out, but then she withdraws into herself, trying to be an ideal. Her relationships with men are certainly influenced by the abusive father from whom she must escape. She toys with men like playthings. She is extraordinarily beautiful. I hadn't ever really seen a Hedy Lamarr film. She about as striking as one can be. It seems that in this era dark haired women were often cast as vixens. She has that role but overcomes it with an excellent performance. It is a nice period piece. It is a little predictable at times, but the wonderful cinematography really pulls it along.