Bette Davis Month: Of Human Bondage (1934)

Of Human Bondage is generally considered the movie that made Bette Davis a star, and on one hand it's not hard to see why: She gives a riveting performance as Mildred Rogers, a heartless woman who needlessly toys with the affections of protagonist Philip Carey (Leslie Howard), a meek medical student with a club foot. On the other hand, it's hardly a glamorous part: Mildred is deeply unlikable and never achieves redemption; she serves only to torment and stifle Philip, who can't truly be happy until she's dead. It was a role that Davis fought hard to get, and certainly it's a risky part to take, but it's a marvelous showcase for her talent, and proof that playing the villainous role is often the more attention-grabbing option for actors (Howard gives a performance every bit as timid as his character).

This is the first of three movies that were made based on W. Somerset Maugham's 1915 novel (the other two, made in 1946 and 1964, are less notable), and based on the Wikipedia summary of the novel, it seems to have left a whole lot out in order to focus on the pathological relationship between Philip and Mildred. And that's clearly the most fascinating thing about the movie - although it's obvious that Philip would be much better off with the sweet author of penny-romance stories he briefly takes up with during the middle of the film, or the doting daughter of one of his patients, it's only when Mildred shows up, scheming and needling in her horrible passive-aggressive way (her standard response to Philip's early invitations for dates is a wonderfully cold "I don't mind") that the movie comes to life.

Davis acts up a storm as Mildred, but it's a little hard to see why Philip becomes so obsessed with her - although the inexplicable nature of romantic attraction might be part of the point. Director John Cromwell often has the actors speak directly to the camera when the characters are expressing their feelings, which gives the emotions a sort of surreal quality. Cromwell's pacing is odd, too; he kind of rushes through things, so that sometimes it's hard to tell whether weeks or years are meant to have passed. But the movie is worth seeing to watch Davis blossom and deliver a quintessential Bette Davis performance, and for its dark, risque elements that just skirted the advent of the Hays Code. Even as Philip eventually finds happiness, there's an undercurrent of unease that never goes away. In this film, true love is never to be trusted.