Jezebel

A deeply powerful film on the hypocrisy of values. William Wyler and the writers are geniuses. Accessible, yet with an undercurrent of wealth of implicit human and social themes. In many ways, I felt it dealt with the themes far better than Gone With The Wind, but with a more subtle approach. GWTW's extravagance won through in terms of rating; it felt the fuller and more engaging film. There's not many films that I can say are objectively underrated, but I believe Jezebel to be one of them.

Lavishly produced but emotionally uninvolving because I had a hard time empathizing. I didn't particularly like the roles played by Fonda and Davis (an Oscar for this performance.. why not for Wyler's own 'The Letter' instead?); they're not exactly a couple you want to root for. Even less engaging are the social problems of the middle 19th century: Who the *insert profanity* cares what colour her *insert more* dress is?! With that out of my system, it's actually not a bad film - just not for me.

Complex and subtle feminist satire difficult to love, about a southern belle navigating like a spoiled brat (a cousin to Scarlet O'Hara) in the misogynistic and hypocritical world of antebellum South. In the end she comes morally out on top by sacrificing herself for her 'sins', but her heroic redemption has a underlying taste of cynical irony.

Well filmed and fairly briskly entertaining with great lead performances, particularly Henry Fonda, who's treat maddogging everyone at the high society ball. Seemed like a good broadside on antebellum Southern hubris more than on unvirtuous womanhood, although I'll have to chew on the final note where Julie (spoilers!) vows to cleanse herself by remove to a leper colony.

This one mostly stands out due to the Oscar winning Davis performance and Wyler's direction, which is strong as always. It's probably not even in Wyler's top 10, though that says more about his skill than the film itself. Davis is well worth seeing, but a bunch of the acting work around her is pretty unremarkable. Fonda, in an earlyish appearance and looking impossibly young, is fine but not much more than that.

Big production. Funny, powerful. Bette is in top form.

Two things make this film a real gem. William Wyler understated, but truly exquisite directing and Davis' award-winning, star-making performance. Davis really is quite grand in this film. I feel that the film kind of peters out in the drawn-out yellow fever finale, but that's not a huge strike against it.

It's there or thereabouts for Bette Davis in this melodrama, but, for me, her performance stops this being the absolute classic everyone else seems to think it is. She does well, don't get me wrong, but every so often, I get the feeling she's struggling a little. I can't put my finger on it, but the effort she's putting in is visible and it's distracting. I still like the picture a lot though.

"Jezebel" is a film of its time, and there are many things I found offensive. However, the movie is well made and has one of Betty Davis's best performances.

Bette Davis is great.. but set in 1853 New Orleans, this film depicts slavery as warm and lovable which is repugnant.

For a showcase of Davis, Jezebel is fabulous.Shes vibrant, expressive, animated, charismatic. Julie through Davis becomes sympathetic -- crucial bc otherwise this character would quickly make you impatient. But with Davis playing to cardboard cutouts, and the story paced as if it was ready to be over at the end of the first act -- Jezebel fails to be a diamond in the rough

There's a lot going on in this film - some highly memorable scenes and a strong performance of a complex character by Davis.

Viewed February 5, 2020.

85.00

Pretty good overall, but Bette Davis' flighty, pointedly obnoxious Julie is just too annoying.

Good chick picture. Will make you very glad that you didn't live back in "the good old days"

I'm learning that Wyler is really good at crafting films with complicated characters who are neither heroes nor villains, but whose motivations are clear and are still sympathetic. Jezebel is both a hero, a headstrong feminist fighting against the everyday misogyny of her world, and a villain, conniving and manipulative. While it's portrayal of slavery is still better then Gone with the wind's, it's problematic enough to detract from it's overall quality.

Bette Davis is wonderful but I had a very hard time getting into this. Maybe I was too tired, but it seemed to want to have its cake and eat it too. By that I mean, it condemns antebellum hypocrisy while simultaneously reveling in it. I know this is 1938, but its depiction of African Americans was cringe-worthy. On top of that, the "drama" that was central to the plot revolved around some really frivolous conflict. Which is the point, I suppose, but gah.

The story of Jezebel is rather simple, but it's the stunning costumes and most of all the brilliant acting that makes this one of the classics! A true Bette Davis signature performance! She won a Oscar for it! And she deserved it. Fay Bainter as her guardian also won an Oscar for her performance, which tells you the detail in the acting William Wyler got out of his actors in this prestige WB picture! He did like a bazillion retakes until he saw what he wanted and the end result is mesmerizing.

davis is very good but the story is only mildly entertaining and the depiction of the slaves is quite repulsive........i wish a technicolor film process had been in the budget just to see the red dress at the ball.....

Davis is wonderful and brings the film up a notch, as do all the jabs at southern hypocrisy and cinema's glorification of the old south. Still, it doesn't completely surpass what it's trying to criticize and the romance plot has some issues, but overall pretty enjoyable.

Story of a fallen woman atoning for her sins. It's Julie, a southern belle forced to forsake her careless lifestyle because of her crimes. And what are they exactly? She disobeyed her man, was selfish, disturbed some men during a business meeting and wore an improper dress for a ball (the only offence I can understand). At least we learn what should have been done to avoid the tragedy. Her man should have beat Julie for disobeying him (as it was suggested to him) at the very beginning!

Bette Davis is great as always, leading a cast of sometimes-likeable people living in diseased social roles they'd rather die than abandon.

Old-fashioned costume melodrama at its best. Bette Davis is stunning, managing (with William Wyler's invaluable assistance) to suggest every emotional nuance of the complicated, headstrong Julie with relative subtlety.

When Wyler is on his A-Game He's great. What happened to him in the 50's? Nevertheless, this is a great film. Great cinematography, and a transcendent performance by Ms. Davis. You could hang those close-ups in the Louvre.