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.
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.