A fantastic piece about A Woman’s Face, the 1941 film starring Joan Crawford, Conrad Veidt and Melvyn Douglas. This is one of Joan Crawford’s best performances, she shows something here she was rarely allowed to show: vulnerability, insecurity, sensitivity.
Never slipping entirely into the simple formula equating beauty with goodness and vice versa, the story suggests that the characters have a kind of security in the way they are perceived by others, based largely on their mien.
And watch for that scene where she slaps Osa Massen. There’s one shot of Crawford’s face during the fight which is as real as it can get. She’s tops.
Here’s my piece on A Woman’s Face.
And here is The Siren’s wonderful piece on this movie.
