How Does John Stahl Use Cinematic Techniques In Leave Her To Heaven
John Stahl’s 1945 ‘Leave Her to Heaven’ is a beautiful and intelligent example of classic Hollywood cinema that transcends the bounds of storytelling and offers something not only narratively captivating, but deeply meaningful.
The film does not shy away from making interesting social commentary. At the time it was produced in the United States in 1945, the very fabric of American society was changing rapidly. Through the advent of consumerist advertising and the unprecedented necessity for them to work, women began to question their place in this quickly evolving culture. Understandably, many found it difficult to adapt at first. The character of Ellen (Gene Tierney) can be seen to experience these cultural changes. Her temperamental behavioural …show more content…
The Technicolor camera injects into it a beautifully glossy exterior, which oozes a deeply saturated, magazine-like quality throughout. This makes the film pleasing to watch. However, these bright and celebratory colours are experienced in conjunction with the dark and sinister ideas explored in the narrative. Ellen commits murder, infanticide and even suicide and is representative of the archetypal ‘femme fatale’ figure seen often in film noir. Thus the collision of the bright colours and the dark subject matter creates a strange and jarring feel, since it is unconventional. This collision is an intelligent reflection of Ellen, who consistently maintains an attractive façade, whilst simultaneously harbouring a vicious and malevolent reality within. The effect is a sensation of suffocation – an uneasy feeling which cleverly encapsulates her …show more content…
There are also moments of narrative significance wherein the actors successfully create a powerfully believable sense of character. Whilst Ellen stares at Richard (Cornel Wilde) upon their first meeting, it is clear from her facial expression that it is a moment of significance to her, despite the fact that he is a stranger. She looks on him as if he were a ghost or a long-lost lover from a time she had already forgotten; the impressive, unwavering glare of her eyes and the raising of her eyebrows reveal this. Not many can convey such profoundly telling emotion on demand through the face
The film does not shy away from making interesting social commentary. At the time it was produced in the United States in 1945, the very fabric of American society was changing rapidly. Through the advent of consumerist advertising and the unprecedented necessity for them to work, women began to question their place in this quickly evolving culture. Understandably, many found it difficult to adapt at first. The character of Ellen (Gene Tierney) can be seen to experience these cultural changes. Her temperamental behavioural …show more content…
The Technicolor camera injects into it a beautifully glossy exterior, which oozes a deeply saturated, magazine-like quality throughout. This makes the film pleasing to watch. However, these bright and celebratory colours are experienced in conjunction with the dark and sinister ideas explored in the narrative. Ellen commits murder, infanticide and even suicide and is representative of the archetypal ‘femme fatale’ figure seen often in film noir. Thus the collision of the bright colours and the dark subject matter creates a strange and jarring feel, since it is unconventional. This collision is an intelligent reflection of Ellen, who consistently maintains an attractive façade, whilst simultaneously harbouring a vicious and malevolent reality within. The effect is a sensation of suffocation – an uneasy feeling which cleverly encapsulates her …show more content…
There are also moments of narrative significance wherein the actors successfully create a powerfully believable sense of character. Whilst Ellen stares at Richard (Cornel Wilde) upon their first meeting, it is clear from her facial expression that it is a moment of significance to her, despite the fact that he is a stranger. She looks on him as if he were a ghost or a long-lost lover from a time she had already forgotten; the impressive, unwavering glare of her eyes and the raising of her eyebrows reveal this. Not many can convey such profoundly telling emotion on demand through the face