#1950films

[adamwatchesmovies]

All About Eve (1950)

All About Eve has been imitated and copied many times you'll think you know where it's headed - but you don’t. Its characters are so rich and the performances so good you block out everything that isn’t the movie. None of the clones can match this spectacular drama.

After a performance that has once again garnered her a standing ovation, again Broadway star Margo Channing (Bette Davis), an aging star of Broadway meets her biggest fan: meek, ambitious Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter). This crossing of paths begins a chain of events that threatens Margo’s career and personal life.

This picture deserves every award and nomination it received. Bette Davis is magnificent as the life-sick, aging, increasingly cynical, and difficult-to-work-with star people love… but are getting a little tired of. She’s able to transform her face from a bright star worthy of Eve's admiration to an absolute pain. Her little mannerisms, the way she carries herself on-screen, the cadence of her voice - everything creates a character so rich you're mesmerized. Even when Marilyn Monroe (in a small role) appears, she only managed to steal your eyes from Davis.

This picture is rich with complicated relationships and characters. You could watch it over and over, always picking up some new little details that will make you say “How did I miss that?” Eve is undoubtedly the film's antagonist but I somehow found myself… I don’t know if cheering is the right word, but admiring to an extent. I can’t say too much about the big developments but it’s fascinating stuff and none of what happens feels artificial or contrived. You get to know Margo, her circle of friends (which includes two other phenomenal performances by Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter), and Eve so well you forget you kind of know how a story like this ends. Quite a feat considering it's told in flashback.

The screenplay by writer/director Joseph L. Mankiewicz is extremely strong. For the way it makes its characters feel real and its ability to make each conversation a delight. There are so many great exchanges of dialogue, including some you’ve heard before… but didn’t know were from this movie! Being able to memorize the exchanges is just another reason to watch and re-watch it.

There are no bombs, car chases, or chances that the world might end in All About Eve but the stakes couldn’t feel any higher. Each twist will make you pull your hair out but their impact will not fade upon a rewatch. On the contrary, this is the kind of film that gets better every time you see it. All About Eve creeps up on you. Before you know it, you’re so invested in the film nothing can tear you away from it. Every time I think about this film, something new about it becomes my favorite thing. (On DVD, October 14, 2016)