MovieChat Forums > Of Human Bondage (1934) Discussion > too bad

too bad

posted 13 years ago by denham
2 replies | jump to latest

It's difficult to know how to apportion things between Davis, Cromwell and the writers, but one way and another the Mildred character, though very memorable, isn't in context very plausible, and not just because of the weird accent. How much better the film would have been if Mildred, though overall a nasty bit of work for sure, had possessed qualities that made her somewhat attractive to us, and so more understandably attractive to Philip, even if this came and went*. Her complete (and dare one say cartoonish) revoltingness makes the whole story that much harder to swallow, and it needn't have been that way.

*Just one example: Marie Windsor/Sherry in The Killing.

"I beseech ye in the bowels of Christ, think that ye may be mistaken."

[–] nyjack 11 years ago

Probably more due to Maughan's writing where lead women do not come out well. See Razor's Edge and Painted Veil (the book, not the recent movie).

[–] mdonln 8 years ago

denham says > How much better the film would have been if Mildred, though overall a nasty bit of work for sure, had possessed qualities that made her somewhat attractive to us, and so more understandably attractive to Philip, even if this came and went*. Her complete (and dare one say cartoonish) revoltingness makes the whole story that much harder to swallow, and it needn't have been that way.

I think the exact opposite is true. I don't think we're supposed to understand Philip's attraction and obsession with Mildred. We know at first she was somewhat kind to him and seemed to overlook his disability but he continued to be attached to her after she treated him badly; not just once but time and time again.

If we could see the attraction it would have been a different movie. What we see is how he has found two other women who are in every way better, more attractive alternatives to Mildred. Both treat him well yet he's still hopelessly drawn back to the horrible Mildred every time. It doesn't make sense and it isn't supposed to.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]