I love the general structure of story-telling in The Heiress. It dabbles in a number of genres but for me it mostly felt like a mystery film. I know that wasn't necessarily what they were going for, but all I could do while watching was try and deduce the real intentions of Montgomery Clift's character. I have to applaud his performance as much as Olivia de Havilland because he did a brilliant job of playing his cards close to his vest so that it's never obvious how authentic his feelings might be. Of course, the film wouldn't work without that strong female lead performance either. Her growth as a character throughout the film is excellent. If you put Catherine at the start of the film side to side with Catherine at the end of the film, you wouldn't believe it was the same woman. She has the same physical appearance, but every mannerism has changed and matured through the events of the movie.
I have some issues with the direction of the story in The Heiress, but I don't want to delve too deep into them for fear of spoiling the film for others. Let's just say the movie reinforces certain things that I don't find all that pleasing, even if the plot takes a small step towards female empowerment that feels ahead of its time. Putting that bit aside, I was enthralled by The Heiress. With a relatively simple story, it creates a magical whirlwind romance and a powerful father-daughter drama. It's not my favorite kind of story, but I respect how well it was told, and never once felt bored. You can tell that this was based on a play because there are limited locations, and no flashy special effects needed. It's a character piece, and was in the right hands with William Wyler at the helm, since he is excellent at getting great performances out of his actors. The Heiress is a movie I'm glad I watched, and I'll probably end up recommending it to others.
I have some issues with the direction of the story in The Heiress, but I don't want to delve too deep into them for fear of spoiling the film for others. Let's just say the movie reinforces certain things that I don't find all that pleasing, even if the plot takes a small step towards female empowerment that feels ahead of its time. Putting that bit aside, I was enthralled by The Heiress. With a relatively simple story, it creates a magical whirlwind romance and a powerful father-daughter drama. It's not my favorite kind of story, but I respect how well it was told, and never once felt bored. You can tell that this was based on a play because there are limited locations, and no flashy special effects needed. It's a character piece, and was in the right hands with William Wyler at the helm, since he is excellent at getting great performances out of his actors. The Heiress is a movie I'm glad I watched, and I'll probably end up recommending it to others.