1939 – Bette Davis
Dark Victory
Here we are once again with Bette Davis, proving one more time that she was a major powerhouse in her day. I think this was a rather special role for her, insomuch as I am used to seeing her play mean or even bitchy characters. Just look at her in her other Best Actress nominated films like Of Human Bondage, Dangerous, and Jezebel, and also future films like The Letter, All About Eve, and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.
But here, she plays a woman who uses a slight bit of cattiness to cover a justifiable fear of impending illness and death. But after the good doctor warms her over, she plays a good and honest woman who only lashes out when she discovers she has been lied to in the most phenomenal way. Yes, both her doctor and her best friend decide that lying to her about her terminal illness is the best way to handle the situation. Then when she finds out by accident that she only has a few months left to live, she gets understandably angry, and in that moment, I didn’t blame her.
The difference in the way she approached the character of Judith Traherne was noticeable. She didn’t go out of her way to attack people, but used sarcasm and flippancy as a way to deflect attention from her failing health. Other than that, she was kind, generous, and even gracious, a side of the actress that is not entirely absent from her body of work, but is generally overshadowed by her darker side. I actually liked the character of Judith, as Davis played her.
For me, the scene that earned her the Oscar nomination was the one in which she learns that her brain tumor is terminal. She discovers the lie, and the look of mortal terror and betrayal is written all over her face. Davis really sold that moment. Of course, when she confronts her doctor, who is now her fiancée, and her best friend, she reverts to her old tricks of delivering vicious dialogue with wide eyes and a sharp smile. As I said, I think that in this case it was justified, but it was an attitude and demeanor we’ve seen all too often in other films. As usual, Davis did a fine job, proving once again that she deserved the honors the Academy loved to bestow upon her. I say well-done on the different, nuanced character.