I finally got around to watching this film. Over the years, I've heard how it's over the top, camp, etc... And it has been given 'cult' status.
But I really didn't see it that way. Yes, there was some over the top melodrama. Faye really went all out on the anger scenes. But the movie wasn't just about Joan losing control. There were some scenes of tenderness and vulnerability as well. I think much of the hate are those who refuse to accept that Joan could be such a character in real life. Granted, even the real life daughter said a number of the scenes in the film didn't happen, and there was dramatic license with having the one maid Carol Anne being present throughout the whole film, instead of really happened (there were many different maids in real life). But the film moved really well. It doesn't really give any message or moral, which reminds me of the recent Eyes of Tammy Faye movie. It's just checking off the various points in Joan's life, just like that other film did with Tammy Faye. It still is engaging.
What I find most attractive about the film, though, isn't really touched on by other reviewers, is the LOOK. The film LOOKS great. I thought this was shown in theaters in Academy Ratio (full frame), because when I streamed it, that's how it was presented. So not only did it look retro, it was framed retro, adding to the authenticity of the presentation. The colors were amazing, I really felt they went for an early Technicolor look for all those scenes pre-1960s. There were moments when I thought I was truly watching a film from the 1940s.
So, this much maligned film, I would say, is quite well done. It helps to also understand how childhood abuse and trauma can create the type of personality that Joan exhibits in this film. And the abused then becomes the abuser. In the early 80s, nobody talked about child abuse and its affects on a person into adulthood. I'm glad I viewed it now, with that extra bit of knowledge. I don't view Joan as a monster, she was trapped in her persona, and lived at a time when one didn't seek therapy for childhood trauma.
But I really didn't see it that way. Yes, there was some over the top melodrama. Faye really went all out on the anger scenes. But the movie wasn't just about Joan losing control. There were some scenes of tenderness and vulnerability as well. I think much of the hate are those who refuse to accept that Joan could be such a character in real life. Granted, even the real life daughter said a number of the scenes in the film didn't happen, and there was dramatic license with having the one maid Carol Anne being present throughout the whole film, instead of really happened (there were many different maids in real life). But the film moved really well. It doesn't really give any message or moral, which reminds me of the recent Eyes of Tammy Faye movie. It's just checking off the various points in Joan's life, just like that other film did with Tammy Faye. It still is engaging.
What I find most attractive about the film, though, isn't really touched on by other reviewers, is the LOOK. The film LOOKS great. I thought this was shown in theaters in Academy Ratio (full frame), because when I streamed it, that's how it was presented. So not only did it look retro, it was framed retro, adding to the authenticity of the presentation. The colors were amazing, I really felt they went for an early Technicolor look for all those scenes pre-1960s. There were moments when I thought I was truly watching a film from the 1940s.
So, this much maligned film, I would say, is quite well done. It helps to also understand how childhood abuse and trauma can create the type of personality that Joan exhibits in this film. And the abused then becomes the abuser. In the early 80s, nobody talked about child abuse and its affects on a person into adulthood. I'm glad I viewed it now, with that extra bit of knowledge. I don't view Joan as a monster, she was trapped in her persona, and lived at a time when one didn't seek therapy for childhood trauma.