The Snake Pit (1948)
Starring Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, and Leo Genn
Directed by Anatole Litvak
***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***
Despite the fact that at the film's end the doctors feel the need to explain away every little thing wrong with the schizophrenic Virginia Cunningham in an effort to appease and educate the audience (a la the psychiatrist at the end of Psycho explaining away Norman Bates's psychoses), The Snake Pit is a surprisingly gritty and gutsy take on mental illness. Certainly carried by a stellar performance by Olivia de Havilland as Virginia, director Anatole Litvak really seems to provide an unflinching look at the state of treatment of mental illness in the 1940s...and it's not always a pretty sight to see.
In what is essentially a character study of a mentally unstable woman, The Snake Pit utilizes voice-overs, clever camera shots, and de Havilland's acting chops to showcase the truly manic state of Virginia. Also adding to the uncomfortable tone of the film are the wonderful performances from the other female residents in the all-women's mental institution in which Virginia resides for an extended period of time. There were a couple scenes depicting the women around Virginia that were both frightening and heartbreaking -- sometimes at the same time.
Admittedly, the film does lag quite a lot when it delves into Virginia's past to determine what caused her mental breakdown, but de Havilland is just as good in these early stages of illness as she is at the all-out unstable peak of her disease. Both de Havilland and director Anatole Litvak were nominated for Oscars and it's really no surprise they were among the top contenders of 1948 as both bring something very unique, raw, and unflinching to the screen. Slight tweaks to the screenplay would've made this one excellent, but for now it'll just have to settle with being quite good.
The RyMickey Rating: B
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