The Heiress (1949)

 William Wyler's "The Heiress"

After watching 1949's "The Heiress," I've come to the conclusion that it is William Wyler's greatest work (up until this point in his filmography). Not only that, but it is Olivia de Havilland's greatest performance and perhaps one of the greatest performances of the decade. Although the film was welcomed with innumerable praise from critics at the time (and even awarded several Academy Awards), it was a financial failure. This failure in the box office was perhaps the reason Olivia de Havilland's career waved thereafter.

The film centers on Catherine Sloper, a plain and shy girl who lives with her wealthy, widowed father in 1849 New York. Catherine's father, Dr. Austin Sloper, is frustrated with his daughter's lack of skills or social graces and becomes suspicious of Morris Townsend, whom he believes is a fortune hunter attempting to marry Catherine for her inheritance. Despite this, Catherine is swept away by Morris' charm and passion for her. However, after he is revealed to be the very thing her father was weary of, Catherine is left alone and bitter, crowing colder year after year.

To me, the most notable aspect of the film is the complete emotional degradation of Catherine. It seems as though she is utter used by the people in her life. Her father is attempting to protect his wealth through her, her aunt just wants to marry her off regardless of her being taken advantage of, and Morris wants her for her money. She appears to have no one in her life that truly love and cares about her beyond her status and wealth. Because of this, the people around her act as emotional vampires, sucking away at her emotional stability until she becomes nothing but a cold, hollow and empty person by the film's conclusion. 

More specifically, the prevalence of wealth that is attached to Catherine is what causes all of this. The financial status weighs heavy on her and creates the exact scenarios that causes her to be unloved and alone. By the film's end, no one truly cares about her and she has no one who loves her. All she has is her money. But even so, the money is hollow. It provided nothing but a stagnant house to stay bored in.

Despite this, there is far more emotional complexity to the film. Catherine still manages to stand up for herself and recognize the greed and manipulation in Morris. By locking him out at the film's conclusion, she liberates herself. She has been manipulated and abused by everyone around her and now has finally detached herself from this abuse. Because of this, there is a bittersweet element to the ending that provides something beyond a black and white understanding of this character. There is a far greater emotional complexity at play. She is liberated through her trials and has gained in perseverance and self-reliance. At the same time, she is still alone and unloved while her money and status will continue to make her question whether anyone would ever truly love her, or just want her for that money. You feel both proud of her and sad for her at the same time.

This complexity is not limited to just Catherine's internal struggle. One feels this complexity in all of the film. You feel hopeful that Morris is truly in love with Catherine, despite knowing intellectually that is probably not the case. You want Catherine to feel loved, but also want Morris to be exposed. At certain points, you ponder if the false love is worth companionship. You ponder the father's feelings for Catherine and whether they are genuine or selfish. The hidden intentions of everyone seem to create a sense of emotional drama within the film that provides the intrigue needed to sustain interest. 

While reading about the film, I came across something interesting. Martin Scorsese has cited "The Heiress" as being a key influence on his 2023 masterpiece "Killers of the Flower Moon." Specifically, the portrayal of Mollie by Lily Gladstone and Mollie's relationship with her husband Ernest. In that film, Ernest leaches off of his wife's wealth and even goes as far as slowly poisoning her. What happens to Molly is a slow emotional and physical draining. As the film progresses, you see Molly slowly begin to become hardened and fatigued, even in her physical appearance. It almost seems visually that Ernest is vampirically draining her of her lifeforce. In the same way, Catherine is visually and thematically comparable. As "The Heiress" continues, we see Catherine visually become more and more fatigued and hardened. 

Overall, I loved "The Heiress" and feel as though it is William Wyler's best work (as I mentioned before).  It is Olivia de Havilland in her last great role and one of Montgomery Clift's first great roles (after "The Search" and "Red River).