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Suggested Supplemental Screenings: RED DUST (Flemming, 1932), SCARFACE (Hawks, 1932) RED-HEADED WOMAN (Conway, 1932), TROUBLE IN PARADISE (Lubitsch, 1932), and anything with Barbara Stanwyck.
Friday, October 29, 2010
SCREENING: BABY FACE
Suggested Supplemental Screenings: RED DUST (Flemming, 1932), SCARFACE (Hawks, 1932) RED-HEADED WOMAN (Conway, 1932), TROUBLE IN PARADISE (Lubitsch, 1932), and anything with Barbara Stanwyck.
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Baby Face was a great film. This was the first time I had ever seen this film. My only complaint was the jump cuts whenever the camera would go in for an extreme close up. For example, when Lily and the engaged man are in his office and she tells him to hold her close, it’s close up shot of the two of them. Then, all of a sudden, there is a jump cut of an extreme close up of them kissing; it wasn’t a clean cut of smooth transition. I did enjoy Barbara Stanwyck’s performance. I felt bad for Lily at the beginning of the film when it showed her own father pimping her out just so his business stays open. And the camera shows all the emotions going on inside of Lily when her father dies in the explosion on his property. She’s not angered or upset about the situation; she has a sense of relief and freedom when her father dies. I actually find her strategy hilarious. It wasn’t the most decent way of getting financial security and improving your status, but it worked for her. This film really stands for the double negative standards that we have going on in America today. Society frowns upon women who sleep around with many different men but celebrates and uplifts men who sleep with many different women. Lily used her assets to her advantage. What was even better was the fact that she was involved with multiple men within the same industry, within the same building and they ALL knew each other but didn’t know what each other were doing with Lily; she was good at what she did. I guess you can say the one guy’s letter to Lily foreshadowed her grief she would eventually experience. She didn’t go through the proper way of overcoming her past and making something of herself. When she eventually did care for someone and was willing to put him above her money, he was taken from her. The ending was suitable; the men find a sponsor to invest money into their company and get it off the ground. It was simple and got the job done but really didn’t have any effect on the movie. The different angles were simple; you know the regular shot reverse shot during conversations. I loved the shot of the tall building and the reference back to it every time Lily got moved to a new division in the banking company; it showed her status and progress of “moving on up.”
ReplyDeleteFinally a talking picture in English, what a day! I really enjoyed Baby Face, there were some funny moments but I liked it because it kind of reminded me of some girls I know. This girl would scope out who the rich kids were and then a day or two later she was in a relationship, similar to Barbra Stanwyck in Baby Face. Directed by Alfred Green, Baby Face follows the story of Lily Power’s sleeping her way to the top of a New York City bank. She uses her beauty and charm to obtain social and financial satisfaction. Throughout the film Lily is constantly persuading guys and putting them in a position to give her what ever she wants. Her sleeping around parade is shown visually through upward pans to the top of the bank’s building, by the end of the film Lily has slept with 5 or 6 guys. Lily’s character is shown through her sexy looks, acts and even sexual jokes. She causes all sorts of drama in the office; ends a marriage, sleeps with the bank president who happens to be the bride’s father, and causes the death of 3 men. Stanwyck’s character can be seen as a precursor for a film noir femme fatale in that she is a seductive woman who lures men into web of greed only to lead them into a dangerous situation. In the end of the film Lily chooses to have love over fortune as she her husband nearly dies from suicide. Ultimately Lily and her husband live happy ever after as they embark on a new life.
ReplyDeleteThis film indeed marks the start of what cinema has become today, and for that reason I’m not sure what I think of it. On one hand, I enjoyed the film as entertainment: never a slow moment, plenty of funny one-liners, the occasional shock, and a clean, clear structure to a redeeming story; basically, all the ingredients for a “good” film.
ReplyDeleteBut there’s another part of me that’s slightly taken aback by the difference this film had to all the ones before. I almost miss some of the quirks and peculiarities that made early films so fascinating, a certain rawness to the creativity, or you could even call it a certain naivety, though while crude and maybe a bit frustrating at times, had a special something that made them fun to watch, like looking at sketches from your childhood. Now that we’re in the period where films were finally being honed as a business, perfected within a certain model, and all the standards having been set, a lot of that early-film flair is lost. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, I’ll admit my own relief at being back in my own cinematic comfort zone with sound, spoken dialogue, music, but there will be something missed.
All that being said, I really enjoyed Baby Face, and was surprised to find how close it is to the style of typical Hollywood movies today, though I’d say with a slightly more original idea, at least in the execution of the plot. Looking forward to seeing more of Barbara Stanwyck, she definitely has a presence!
Baby Face was a very well done film and extremely racy for its time. It tells the story of a working class girl living with her father as well as working for him as a bar keep. She is neglected and abused by him, even being used as a prostitute. Her whole world is turned upside down when her father is killed by a brewery explosion. Her and her friend Chico then set out to New York City, where Baby Face quickly learns how to rise in ranks in the business world. She pretty much starts sleeping around with everyone and anyone as long as that person can aid her in her climb to the top. Baby Face uses her wit and body to make men fall for her and obsess over her, to the poi nt were they are willing to lose their jobs for her. This whole sequence is very comedic, i found myself laughing aloud whenever they would show the camera panning to a new level of the building, suggesting Baby Face sept with another person to get to a new level. At some points it wasn't even implied she did anything sexual like once she just said hello to someone then it cut immediately to the rising building shot. I found myself laughing the hardest at those points, just because it seemed so ridiculous. Baby Face was a cool vamp character, an emotionless snake weaving her way through men and twisting their views of the world. Towards the end of the film she falls for the president of the bank, learning that love is far more important than money. I felt this was the most dull part of the film since it relied on old cliche classical hollywood romantic plot. Baby Face's wit seemed to go out the window and she turned into a typical bumbling female lead unable to help herself. Overall, I found the film to be very entertaining up until the end, I was expecting more since it was said to be a "racy" film, but I for the time I could see how it was seemed as an extreme film.
ReplyDeleteThe film Baby Face is one of my favorite films screened in this class so far. It definitely gave the sense of Classical Hollywood cinema that many are familiar with. The most prominent aspect of this film is its main character, Lily Powers (a last name she clearly deserves). Lily is the femme fatale type that appears in film noirs. She is beautiful and men can’t resist her, even though she spreads trouble. It’s an interesting commentary that has been made numerous times after this film on how powerful men become weak due to the power of a seductive woman. Lily climbs her way to the top, sparing no one and only looking out for herself. I also noticed how the only person she shares some compassion with is Chico, the maid. This expresses how her malice is mostly only towards men. The beginning scene, where she is working at the bar with all the men groping and her father giving her a hard time, gives the audience some kind of reason for her attitude towards men. Lily’s character arc comes at the very last minute, which shows just how much had to happen in order for her to truly fall in love and change her ways.
ReplyDeleteSomething else I noticed was the use soft lighting during close-ups of Lily. This kind of lighting, which was popular during that time period, really makes the actress/character look flawless and beautiful.
I’m not sure if we saw the more “intense” version of the film, but I think by today’s standards this does not even come close to the material put in today’s films. I guess it just goes to show how far today’s films need to go in order to impress audiences.
Overall, I was captivated by this film. Although I don’t mind reading subtitles, it was nice to have a sound film in English.
Babyface was quite refreshing – the first film in sound and in English we have seen during our screenings. The sound at this point seemed much more advanced and worked to seamlessly make the film work as one cohesive unit. In general the film worked for me because of the superb storyline and great acting. The story had very strong noir elements, where Lily filled the part of femme fatale to perfection. The actress was able to fully embrace the role and represent a woman and figure in culture that even at this time would be considered subversive and scandalous – I can only imagine that at the time the strong backlash. Her character essentially slept her way to the top of the corporate ladder, manipulating and destroying everyone’s lives along the way. She was great at playing the sweet and innocent role of secretary calling herself the victim to have the world around her bend to her will. The delivery and editing techniques did a great job at revealing her true nature and intentions, as when her first two lovers died – one murdered, the other taking his own life shortly after - due to a trap she was completely aware of. Her response was silent observation. After an unemotional moment on screen she called for an ambulance with nonchalance.
ReplyDeleteWhat I enjoyed about the film was the two-act structure. After the deaths a new lover was introduced. Unlike all the others she slept with and manipulated, Trenholm was far more intelligent and saw past her antics. He, like the audience, was aware of Lily’s power and true nature, but still had a soft spot for her charm and potential. There was definitely a division between what I wanted to see. I liked the character of Lily and wanted to see her develop as a character. I also wanted to see Trenholm not fall into the same trap as everyone else, considering he separated himself from the rest of the tasteless men in the film. The resolution was actually quite satisfying, if a bit cheesy at the same time. Trenholm does fall into the same trap, but Lily finally realizes that she has finally given into the sentimentality of love, and it is this expression of love that somehow revives Trenholm from his suicide.
Nothing about the actual cuts or editing was too extraordinary. I did enjoy the cuts through doors and initial reactions between people. Lily was often framed in a mirror or through doors, which were cool effects. Like M, I also enjoyed that everything about the content was a suggestion and innuendo – nothing was explicit which made the film that much more tense and entertaining.
“Baby Face” was really good! I full enjoyed it. The plot was moving almost at a modern pace and they captured something that no other film we’ve watched has; the unspoken… subtext… subtlety! I’m not even sure that “subtlety” is the right word. Ok… it’s not, but at least they concealed their jokes ever so slightly that they allowed the audience to think for a moment. The window-to-window gag, where she started at “personal department” and slept her way up the corporate latter and visually up the floors of the building was hilarious and eventually they didn’t have to say anything. Silent era, there was absolutely no subtlety! There was some terrible acting around her, but Barbara Stanwyck held down the fort. The only problem I can come up with, as I’m trying to think of things to say, was there wasn’t much of an indication that the she felt any different about the last guy. She seemed to act exactly the same around him. I don’t know. I also couldn’t shake the feeling that the message this movie was trying to convey was that actual prostitutes and business-women are whores just the same. Well, the male gender took a little bit of shit too because each one was just as stupid as the next and they were all so easily manipulated. All in all, it was a wonderfully enjoyable movie. But OH DEAR GOD! How ridiculous was that maid! She is only rivaled by the black woman in “Holiday Inn” for overall stereotyping and offensiveness.
ReplyDeleteBabyface was really enjoyable. It wasn't the heaviest story, but it was certainly fun, and risque for that early in cinema. The story basically revolved around a prostitute who literally sleeps her way all the way up the building. Its fun to watch as she puts all the men in her pocket, uses them up and then throws them out. Stanwyck was really good in her role, sexy, believable, and misguided. She was fascinating to watch.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy movies like this. They take place in the world where everyone knows exactly what to say in snappy and witty dialogue at rapid pace. Its something that will be seen a lot later on in Film Noir. Its cool because it takes you to a world that is hyper realistic, filled with what you wish you could think to say to other people as they talk to you.
The beginning was interesting in the shots around the bar, the fact that her father was her pimp, her loyalty to the black maid and how much soot was in the air that the plants on the windowsill were dusty. Then her dad blows up. Its really quick but it works to get the story moving to the juicy part, which is where the filmmakers obviously cared the most and had the most fun.
The movies flaw however comes when they send her to Paris. Before, we had fun watching her seduce her way up the corporate ladder and were shocked when her actions leaded to a murder-suicide of the boss of the bank and who was supposed to be his son-in-law. I was hooked up until this point. There were great scenes as she seduced the men, using the same lines to ensnare each one of them. Then the shocking deaths. The movie had no where to go from here, but since she had to learn her lesson and there just HAD to be romance, there was this mostly uninteresting story involving the new head of the bank, a millionaire playboy. He was, suffice it to say, less fascinating to watch that his female counterpart. This whole section seemed to be there because it had to be. It moved really fast. Two lines of dialog and they were married, two more seconds and the bank was in trouble. It was, of course, all leading up to her decision of money or love, but it happened to fast, and really uninterestingly.
She obviously chooses love, but her husband has shot himself in the... well I don't know, its not clear, but he is obviously the worst shot of all time to not do the job right point blank. Then a little bit of shoe-horned exposition and the fastest shot of the industrial town from the beginning and the movie is over. It was great how much glee the movie had with her promiscuity, and how disappointing it was for the end when it went into hyper drive to complete itself. I did like this movie and I forgive its end for the strength of 3/4ths of it.
Baby Face is about a woman who, because the advice of a friend, moves to New York with hopes of achieving anything she wants by using her sex appeal to enslave men. The first time she explores her power over men is when a man tries to kick her out of a train. But, she gives him her baby face and tells him that they can talk it over, after which they proceed to go on to a dark corner and we can assume what happens there. When she arrives to New York she goes into a building a quickly escalates job positions by enamoring her different bosses. My problem with this part of the story was that the majority of the times we are not shown how she gets the job, how she talks them into it, we have to assume their conversation just from watching her go into a room with her boss.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Baby Face has no guilt or shame whatsoever; not only is she the cause for her boss getting fired but also, she purposefully goes into her other boss’ office to kiss him, because she knows his fiancée is coming. Why does she do this? Does she already know what’s going to happen? Some of it is not believable at all, like her boss resigning because he doesn’t want to fire a secretary. The story seems too contrived. And why do all men fall for her? I’m sure there are more attractive women than her in New York. I found the movie to be entertaining but I didn’t like the protagonist and her “redemption.” Are we supposed to like this woman because she defended her black servant from her father? Or because she had an abusive father? Does her upbringing justify her actions? I don’t think so. That part of the writing wasn’t excellent, but that dialogue was good for a 1930’s movie.
I thought his directing techniques were good, I particularly enjoyed his subtle use of the dolly-in. Overall it was a good movie, I just didn’t like the protagonist or her motivations.
“Baby Face” was a wonderful film! I really enjoyed it very much. It was a lot of fun and at times extremely humorous. It kind of reminded me of watching “I Love Lucy” (which I love), except much more sexually charged. Of all the films we’ve watched this semester this “romantic comedy turned tragic” seemed to resemble modern day films the most, both in technique and in theme offering a classic example (used many times in film) of how women can manipulate men with sex (in this case, job advancement/social status).
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to watch an old black and white sound film without having to read subtitles the entire time. The sound was excellent and didn’t seem to take away from camera technique nor performances. One of my favorite things was the motif with the windows as Lily moved higher and higher in her positions at the bank.
“Baby Face” ultimately presents a message that all the money and material possessions in the world can’t make a person happy or fulfilled which I feel sort of “compensates” (for lack of better words) for the films overtly sexual content. Had the ending been different and not offered such a message, I feel that the film would be simply a humorous yet at the same time sad commentary on women and society.
Overall great and entertaining film! Would watch it again.
This week’s film, Baby Face, felt very much like a contemporary movie with a female lead. Conceived during the pre-code cinema era, the theme was quite saucy and scandalous. I can only imagine the raised eyebrows at the time at the plot line as well as double entendre fueled dialog.
ReplyDeleteThe film Baby Face threw me off guard in the sense that I got so enveloped in the story, the film technique kept completely drifting from my mind. The pacing was excellent and it was incredibly entertaining social commentary on woman, feminism and sensuality. Barbara Stanwyck was positively amazing. Her dry sense of comedic timing and sassy dialog carried the film. She somehow managed the audience still stand behind her even though her actions were shocking and kind of deplorable. Even though she was completely demeaning herself by using her body, she ended up having a character arc of taking herself seriously when she moved to Paris, started using her intellect and seemingly enjoyed her job as head of the travel department.
The soft focus used on Stanwyck’s close ups highly romanticized her image and gave a point of view illusion of her various men (or rather…victims?) falling head over heels in love with her. Point of view shots were used throughout the film showing men gawking at Lily’s legs, etc. The visual gag of the cameras view tilting upward through the skyscraper windows at her various points of “social climbing” was a clever “subtle” way of showing her career progression. Most of the explicit action was simply implied, for instance the banker entering her apartment doorway at night with a window exposing the darkness, then the screen fades into the same hall, except now it’s light outside as he exits her door.
I was fascinated by the wardrobe and costuming. The simple garb of the opening sequences became increasingly extravagant and avant-garde as the film continued. It very much seemed like Lady Gaga looked to this film for inspiration for stage outfits due to their odd angles and showy accessories. I thought it was interesting that they used the professor as a kind of pseudo father figure and his suggestion of a book by Friedrich Nietzsche. (I viewed the uncensored version of the film that contained this element). Nietzsche’s view became the driving force of her motives for career climbing and added an intellectual or philosophical element to ponder…whether one agrees with it or not, it was interesting viewing the film and her actions through that filter.
-Brianne McKay
Overall I had a great experience watching Baby Face for the first time. It was refreshing to see an American sound film after the more international films screened. The movies influence on later films is noticeable and resembles a modern movie much more than others we have seen. I thought Barbara Stanwyck had a great performance in the film. One critique I have of the film is in its ending--It was cliche and too redemptive. I understand how the film's content--in the context of when it was released--might have sparked controversy, but it is impossible to envisage a similar reaction today. Today's movies are supersaturated with the sensational and what was once considered racy would now be highly comedic and caricature. The film had a strong story concept, great acting, and a favorable running time: seventy something minutes. I enjoyed this film and would see it again.
ReplyDeleteBaby Face was a really nice film. I enjoyed the presence of Barbara Stanwyck who used sex to advance her social and financial status throughout the film. This movie made me laugh a lot, it had great sense of humor and this also made it a fun film to watch. Out of all the films seen in class this one in particular seems to resemble the most to films done nowadays in terms of feminine power and strength through our sexuality. Although the film is filled with sexual content and importance it still has a strong moral lesson at the end, which really catch’s the audience by surprise and this is the fact that money is not all in life and will not make us happy at all times.
ReplyDeleteAt points I found it to be kind of fictitious like for example when the boss resigns his job because he does not want to fire a secretary. Other than this I find the film to have great actors and a go theme, I would definitely see the film again.
I absolutely loved this film. It was the first time I had watched Babyface, and because I got so intertwined in the story, I forgot to scan and analyze the film for its flaws! The plot was original, particularly compared to the other films of its time. The idea of using sexuality as power over a world dominated by men is intriguing and interesting in how it played out. I do agree, the ending was semi-cliché, but it was obvious it was going to happen as soon as her last husband refused to give her the 10,000 dollars from the bank! He was the only man who could stand up to her and see her for who and what she really was. Therefore, I think it is less that the ending is cliché and more that what led up to the ending didn't match up properly. For example, after her last husband stands up to her and runs into her in Paris, he begins to act just like the other men acted around her previously, which led the audience to lump him in with the hoards of men that were after Lily. As a critique, that is probably the only thing I saw that was a little off.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that we were told we were watching the explicit version of the film that included nudity and language but we saw none of it. I'm wondering if this was just a misrepresentation of the version we saw or if that was the idea of nudity and bad language in the 1920s?
Anyway, I absolutely loved this film. The theme and the way it was shot kept me interested in the characters and their plights. This is, so far, the first movie that has captivated me to this extreme.
-Nathalie Fernandez
Baby Face
ReplyDeleteSarah Garcia
I enjoyed this screening, because it brought a new element to filmmaking and storytelling. I have noticed as these screenings come every week a new piece of innovation is added. This time the characters had different dimensions. The woman was a bitch, but she had a frightening back-story that gave her reason to want to rise in the world. She needed to get out of the world she was in, because her father was abusing her and renting her to men for sex. She covers this up with sarcasm and wit, which allows us to understand why she is this way. Her sarcasm is entertaining, but it is just a coping mechanism for what she has been through.
I thought that the screenplay was smart and right on with the woman’s remarks to her father were perfect and really went along with exactly how far she knew that she could push him. I thought it was the best writing this year, and it really did make me go to different places emotionally, because it was sad that her father abused her, but her spunk made her a lovable character. I also liked the way in which the director and editor expressed passage of time. You could tell it was passage of time because the camera would pan up the floors of the bank showing that baby face was moving up in the bank and stepping over all the men she needed to in order for her to get to the top.
The other factor of the film that I liked was that it was easy for her to get her revenge on men, because she had so much training of manipulation from her father. So in a way she was able to use her abuse to her advantage. I thought that the film was very edgy and risky for the time for a woman to have so much power and that is what made it so great. At that time women would have never acted like that towards there father even now it is hard to find, but she knew that he would be nothing without her so she had the power to do whatever it is she wanted to do. Usually using sex to get somewhere seems like it would be demeaning, but this time her empowering because she was in total control the entire time.
I really enjoyed Baby Face. I thought it was smart and an interesting look into Pre-Code Hollywood.
ReplyDeleteI was very involved in the story. Eager to know the character's motivations, like her manipulation and semi-despise for men. I thought it was very interesting watching a movie of that time and seeing sexuality in that light. I found that the whole concept of the movie, the idea that a woman could use her sexuality to her advantage and move up in the professional ranks, was a very modern idea. It's almost a refreshing thing to think of, in that before the Hays code was introduced, ideas and stories like these were being thought of.
Of course, she does get 'punished' or 'corrected' in the end, but both the theatrical and original ending feel so contrived outside of the story that we'd been witnessing previously that it doesn't feel at all germaine or coherent to the rest of the movie.
Other than that, I thought it was way ahead of its time, especially just in terms of what a woman can be and do, and what defines her.
Baby face was a regular movie for me. I thought that it was a basic story about a pretty woman that worked her way up the ladder and then finally was blindsided by love, sorta...
ReplyDeleteThe movie didn't impress me that much I thought that it was the same scene when she met a new man. The man would say no, then she would say something cool, then they would kiss. That said, I really did enjoy her as an actress and thought that she did a great job being a demanding woman. It was a very raunchy movie though and I could easily see why it was talked about in detail because of the kissing and riskee dialouge. She played it off well, but still the character of baby face knew she hated men and then became a mortal when she finally fell in love.
I don't really think that was the actual ending because it was abrupt and used a notecards to tell them what happened at the end. Some of the scenes seemed to be ended very abruptly because I found out later in class that it was because they didn't want a philosopher dictating what was going on her in mind.
Still this movie was interesting, nothing to ride home about, but also a good movie for its time. Raunchy and dirty which plays well back then as the Hayes code killed the fun with a lot a lot a lot of censorship.
Baby Face was the first American sound film that we watched and it lived up to my expectations. Baby Face stars Barbara Stanwyck as a woman who will do anything to be on top on the social and economic ladder. I actually really enjoyed this film as you can tell by my other blog posts that is a very hard compliment for me to give. I though the film had some twist and turns that I didn’t see coming. When her father died I was totally shocked. I thought it was a good twist that started to put the story in motion. Another thing I really liked was the humor in the film. I felt that you still got the jokes even though it was written over fifty years ago. I thought Barbara Stanwyck’s humor and delivery was spot on to her character. Though I guess I am a little biased to that since I enjoy a very strong female character who does not take any bull shit. Baby Face was made before the Code but some reason we watched an edited version. I don’t know what we would have seen if it was not edited: my guess is probably a sex scene or two. I still enjoyed the movie and I felt like nothing was really missing from the story and it did a good job keeping the story and its premise. There were really only two problems that I think the code made. The first problem was the weird editing and cutting when they had to get rid of a scene in the film due to the codes’ rules. The second problem was the ending. I thought it was a little weird to just have a narration as the end instead of reshooting the ending to make it more proper. My suspicions is that her husband was suppose to die and the Code wanted him alive. Overall, I really enjoyed Baby Face and it got me excited to see more Barbara Stanwyck films.
ReplyDeleteBaby face… what can I say about this film… I LOVE IT! In my opinion it has been one of the best so far, it has an awesome feel. Everything from the lighting, to the camera work, to the acting on set. There was not one thing I didn’t like. As soon as I saw it I had to buy a copy and let me tell you… the unrated version is way better. Barbara Stanwyck is the best actor I have seen in a long time. I love her voice; it’s really deep and sexy. Her voice goes so well with her look; I cannot picture Barbara Stanwyck in a role not playing the mind actor. I loved this movie that I now call it “10 ways to success” I just loved the way that her chapter used men to get what she wanted and she didn’t stop using them till she fill in love. And even then she was going to just get her money and leave out of town, but then she came back with I felt that was a nice thing to do, he was really cute. And not only that, he really did love her. And he showed it the whole time that he was on screen. Thought-out the movie I was thing, “did this really pass with the film company’s and did people said what’s going on there is too much sexy”” but then I realized that it was a film about woman and how they can be like men and make it to the top. I just love it, I really felt that Barbara Stanwyck did it the best I feel that if this part was giving to anyone other than Barbara Stanwyck the film would not be the same. It would not have the same in tenses felling that the film has and every frame is beautifully done. In every frame there was beautiful lighting and the lens that the camera man used on Barbara Stanwyck was so well done. I love it how every time she was on screen her face had a “glow” about it, I love that lens, I feel that every actor should have it; the lens makes people look so beautiful. I also loved the makeup that was used it was so nicely done it made me want to go home and make myself all dolled up. Barbara Stanwyck looked like a doll in this film, I can’t wait to see all of her other films, just to see if she really looks that doll liked.
ReplyDeleteWatching Baby Face was a great example of what films were getting away with during the early 30’s. It was the first pre-Hayes code film I’ve seen and it felt like a more modern film plot due to its freedom from heavy censorship. Barbara Stanwyck did an amazing performance as the manipulative, injured woman, Lily Powers, who’s pimp of a father dies, leaving her free to look for her own peace in life. Her character portrayal of Lily was extremely realistic and watching her conniving tactics to win money out of the men she allured, was played out with finesse and clever humor. It was refreshing watching her give a naturalistic performance, without the sugarcoating of cinema at the time.
ReplyDeleteThe issue that ruined the ending, (in the censored version) was the censorship of the Friedrich Neitzsche quotes that explained the drive of Lily’s character in the story. With those quotes censored, the ending hardly made any sense and the slapped on ending was quite the punch in the face. It was a relief to watch the uncensored version in class and clarify what the writer had intended.
Overall, I enjoyed the film for Barbara Stanwyck’s performance and the writing. The characters were all well presented and it was definitely a mark in history what the 30’s may have looked like without the cover of the Hayes’ code.
-Allison Basham
Ahh Baby Face, I am now a huge fan of Barbara Stanwyck. I’m not sure if he role in Babyface could be feminine. Feminine makes me think that the character should be weak and a “Damsel in distress” But her character plays that role within her own role as a powerful independent woman. What a story, a woman from nothing can work her way up the ladder without really having any skill to do the job but a sense of how to persuade men to get what she wants. Like I said in my thesis for Bluebeard for one to be successful they have to take every chance they get, use the tools that they have to their advantage, and last but not least be confidant in oneself. Lily Powers handles those three rules like she was born with them. What’s interesting about Lily is that she really was never given any chance but rather could make her own. She could convince men that whatever she wanted was their idea to give her and she would get it. Her downfall, if you could call the ending that, is she actually ended up liking one of the men she used. Her emotions took over the greed and priority of putting herself first in order to be with this guy. I’m not sure if this would be considered a defeat or just a realization of the person she was and wanted a new life. Regardless baby face was an excellent movie and I intend to watch more of Barbara Stanwyck’s movies.
ReplyDeleteI was pleasantly surprised by our screening of “Baby Face” this week. I remember reading about the feature in several of my other film courses. It’s interesting that a lot of what I’ve read or been told basically simplifies the film into a “tale about a woman who sleeps her way to the top.” So, coming into the screening, I wasn’t expecting much from the movie. However, by its conclusion, I found the film to really demonstrate the power and possibility of a female-driven motion picture. In truth, I think “Baby Face” is the first film we’ve screened that illuminates the social complications surrounding women at the time. More importantly, I thought the film was also alluding to the issues concerning gender representation common in early American cinema. I can’t help but associate Lily’s social climbing in the film with the oppressive forces within the film industry at the time. “Baby Face,” at least to my estimation, is the first film we’ve seen that allows the female character an unlimited voice and almost complete control of the picture. Interestingly, Lily is a beautiful and yet aggressive portrait of the modern woman. Her attitude in some ways also helps sexualize her. What’s most intriguing about this film is that I feel that women of the 1930s would generally have shunned this film and its depiction of females. It’s almost as if the film is more targeted towards male audiences, flaunting Stanwyck’s sexuality at various instances. I believe this film would be a good example for the types of motion pictures Hollywood was making before the Production Code – essentially, the type of film that made society call for the Production Code. Finally, I was really impressed by Stanwyck’s performance. I thought it would be a bold move for any actress of the time to take on this role but she does so with ferocity and grace, allowing the audience to sympathize with Lily during her most vulnerable moments.
ReplyDeleteBabyface was a funny femme fatale film. At first Lily seems to respect herself by not letting other guys take advantage of her. She seems like she is able to control everyone and knows what she wants. She doesn’t let men from the bar touch her and she defends an African American woman from her father. She leaves her father to get a decent job and still takes the African American lady with her. I couldn’t believe that Lily was sleeping around to get a better job until the end. I love how she is able to control every man she wants to seduce to get a promotion. Barbara Stanwyck is a very beautiful woman and did a perfect job with this role. Filming the upper floors of the building was a perfect way to show that Lily was promoted. Every time camera would move to an upper floor I wanted to know what she was into and who was she seducing. When she finally reached the top I thought she was married but she was just the mistress. She had everything she needed plus took her maid with her. When Ned killed Carter I thought that was going to be it for her. Everyone found out about the affair and Carters wife and daughter were probably going to leave her broke. Even then she still manages to get what she wants from the company. She lies about feeling horrible about the incident and that a newspaper was offering a large amount of money to say what she went through when she began working at the bank.
ReplyDeleteAll the bank executives offered her a larger amount of money to stay quiet. When Courtland decides not to give her the money, I thought he was finally the first one to not take lies from her. Courtland offered her even more money and jewelry. Lily seemed like she was never going to stop, like she still didn’t have enough riches. When Courtland was blamed for unprofessional conduct in the business, he was charged a large amount of money. It was horrible that Lily still didn’t do a nice gesture for someone that loved her. The end was a very cute ending because she finally found out she was in love; In love with a man that she didn’t mind giving up everything for. They both lost everything and worked to make a living
When I first heard that Babyface woud a "racy" movie, I, like most people, did not expect much. In the back of my head I was thinking, "sure, a 'racy' movie, filled with women in their scantily clad above-the-ankle dresses." Much to my surprise, I was completely wrong.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was racy- very racy, especially for its time. The movie was filled with suggestive innuendos that reminded me of Mae West’s “come up and see me sometime.” The first bank tower scene when Lily enters the building and asks for an interview caught me completely off guard. The movie was made in the 30’s and they expertly suggested that Lily had had sex with the male employee in order to get her first job. Hell, the movie was able to suggest all of the sex scenes with every male employee.
The overall story was engaging, and one of the best movies we have seen thus far. I appreciated that Lily seemed to defend her African American housekeeper by saying that she would leave if her housekeeper were fired. I feel like for that time, this movie was incredibly ahead of its time.
This being so, I still had a major problem with the ending, and Lily’s “epiphany” of love. After so many sequences of Lily being a callous self-serving (insert crude word here), I feel as if the ending scene of her learning her lesson and understanding the true meaning of love was overly rushed and unpolished. The story did not do a good job of showing the process of how she came to this realization, but instead just displayed her transition from A->B. Minus this particular flaw, however, I very much enjoyed this movie.