Connect with us

Movies

‘Mildred Pierce’ Among Criterion’s February 2017 Slate of Titles

Mildred Pierce

00285440.tif

Melodrama casts noirish shadows in this portrait of maternal sacrifice from the Hollywood master Michael Curtiz. Its iconic performance by Joan Crawford (Johnny Guitar) as Mildred, a single mother hell-bent on freeing her children from the stigma of economic hardship, solidified Crawford’s career comeback and gave the actor her only Oscar. But as Mildred pulls herself up by the bootstraps, first as an unflappable waitress and eventually as the well-heeled owner of a successful restaurant chain, the ingratitude of her materialistic firstborn (a diabolical Ann Blyth) becomes a venomous serpent’s tooth, setting in motion an endless cycle of desperate overtures and heartless recriminations. Recasting James M. Cain’s rich psychological novel as a murder mystery, this bitter cocktail of blind parental love and all-American ambition is both unremittingly hard-boiled and sumptuously emotional.

SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

    New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
    New conversation about Mildred Pierce with critics Molly Haskell and Robert Polito
    Excerpt from a 1970 episode of The David Frost Show featuring actor Joan Crawford
    Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star, a 2002 feature-length documentary on Crawford’s life and career
    Q&A with actor Ann Blyth from 2002, conducted by film historian Eddie Muller
    Segment from a 1969 episode of the Today show featuring novelist James M. Cain
    Trailer
    PLUS: An essay by critic Imogen Sara Smith

mildred-pierce-bd

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Newsletter Signup

Written By

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement

Mattress Mack movie in the works with Billy Magnussen

Movies

U.S. Marine Patrick Cronin on Helping Afghan Translators Build New Lives in America

Interviews

Painkiller: Peter Berg Brings Awareness to Opioid Epidemic in Netflix Series [Interview]

Movies

Apple Reveals New Augmented Reality Headset For $3499

Breaking News

HBO Max To Relaunch As Max

Breaking News

The Future Of Star Wars Projects

Breaking News

Actor Lance Reddick Dies At 60

Breaking News

Mama Morales Visits the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo!

Travel

Advertisement
Connect
Newsletter Signup