Robert Aldrich's piece of LA gothic both critiques the entertainment industry and gives two seasoned troupers one last hurrah
Reissued in a new print, this enduring example of LA gothic comprises both a last hurrah for the studio system and a critique of the monsters the entertainment industry habitually spawns: it needed the tough-minded Robert Aldrich behind the camera because there would still have been directors around longing to indulge those divas the movie pins to the screen like butterflies. Surely even 1962-era audiences found the setup â€" obliging hissing showbiz sisters Bette Davis and Joan Crawford to cohabit in passive-aggressive seclusion â€" borderline implausible. Yet the film remains fascinatingly warped: an extended study in decaying flesh, set to a score mordantly trying to break into Hooray for Hollywood. Aldrich sensed the terror age might wreak on those working within an industry beginning to deify youth, while awarding two seasoned troupers another chance to devour the scenery â€" and each other.
DramaBette DavisMike McCahillguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/dec/13/whatever-happened-baby-jane-review
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