Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
A Letter to Three Wives (1949)
RANKED:
6. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
Adapted from the 1945 Josephine Leslie novel of the same name, Joseph L. Mankiewicz's 1947 film "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" is a supernatural romantic fantasy that follows a widowed single mother in the early 1900s who encounters a ghost in the new seaside chateau she recently purchases. The ghost, a former seaman who died in the home only 4 year prior, develops a friendship and eventually romantic interest in the titular Mrs. Muir. "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" is a very sweet and romantic film that is now considered a classic of Hollywood.
5. The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
The 1954 melodrama, "The Barefoot Contessa" marked the first time director Joseph L. Mankiewicz had ever used technicolor filmmaking. Starring Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner, the film chronicles the journey of the Maria, an on the rise actress. Through the relationships she has with the various men who 'own her company,' the film dives into themes of elitism and the complicated nature of power in America.
4. Julius Caesar (1953)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz's film adaptation of the classic William Shakespeare stage play "Julius Caesar" was met with wild acclaim in 1953. Starring James Mason and the dazzling Hollywood newcomer Marlon Brando, "Julius Caesar" remains ever faithful to the complex and politically-charged source material. There are many in the film community who would agree that no other adaptation of the play who ever reach the echelons of Mankiewicz's rendering.
3. Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
In the 1950s, the plays of Tennessee Williams were being adapted to the screen one year after the next. To close out the decade, his 1958 play "Suddenly, Last Summer" was selected to be his next adaptation at the request of Elizabeth Taylor, who had reached the zenith of her career. In the 1959 film adaption, Taylor plays a young institutionalized girl who believes her aunt, played by the iconic Katharine Hepburn, is attempting to have her lobotomized. What plays out is a psychological drama all centered around the mysterious death of Hepburn's character's son, Sebastian. While the film was met with mixed reactions, it has since cemented itself as a notable work from Tennessee Williams, along with being remembered for its incredible performances by the leading ladies. Its themes of inherent cruelty and the bleakness of life play well into the noirish film environment that was integrated into American films in the 1950s.
2. A Letter to Three Wives (1949)
After the second World War, the United States was in a period of rapid growth and wealth incline. There were radio commercials, new fashions, and rapid industrialization that existed under a new framework of the American nuclear family. What Joseph L. Mankiewicz's adaption of the 1945 novel "A Letter to Three Wives" demonstrates is the anxieties felt by women in the new, modern world. The story centers on three women who receive a letter from the illustrious and mysterious Addie Ross, who confesses that she ran away with one of their husbands, although she does not reveal whom. Throughout the film, the women agonize over whether their respective husband was unfaithful. Through this process, it becomes evident that the expectations placed on the modern women in this new American framework can become unbearable. The notion that these women might not be meeting some ascribed notion of wealth, beauty, and downright perfection causes immense anxiety, self-doubt, and even overcompensation. Despite being tagged as a 'studio film,' Mankiewicz was able to construct a glimpse into the anxieties and internal struggles of the modern American woman.
1. All About Eve (1950)
Often compared to "Sunset Boulevard" from the same year, Joseph L. Mankiewicz's 1950 film "All About Eve" details the fall of one aging star and the rise of a younger, more ambitious one. The aging star in question is played by the incomparable Bette Davis, in perhaps her greatest on-screen role. "All About Eve," despite its straightforward plot about the structural makeup of the entertainment industry, can be a more abstract film about life. As one young woman sacrifices all of her relationships to attain wealth, glamour, and fame, the aging star must reconcile with what's more important in her life and whether her personal relationships are more valuable than her perceived control over her career and her perception by others. When it was released, "All About Eve" was a huge success, especially for critics and people in the entertainment industry. After all, the film centers on them. However, the film could also be said to be about the fall of the Golden Age of Hollywood and the oncoming changes that were just beyond the horizon.
Comments
Post a Comment