A young woman comes into the lives of an established, mature actress and her friends, seemingly harmless and yet oh so eager… This film is a highly enjoyable experience, with an intelligent script, gripping drama, and great acting. Marilyn Monroe makes an appearance, still at the beginning of her career, whilst Bette Davis provides an unforgettable performance as a stubborn, talented actress asserting herself as an individual by resisting the possibility of being replaced by both the theatre industry and her lover.
Bette Davis is what makes this film marvellous. Her character is so alive, she is almost coming out of the screen. I truly admire her character: she is talented, beautiful, strong, outspoken, self-assured, and funny. The film itself has many comedic moments, often involving Margo’s maid Birdie, the only individual who was rightly suspicious from the beginning. The comedy is well balanced with the solemn themes of womanhood, ageing, and life in a competitive industry. Margo’s concerns are not unique to her; she is a beautiful, ageing actress, worried about her place in an industry looking for younger, more beautiful women, and worried about how she will be perceived by others, including her younger partner, when her fame diminishes. The fact that Margo has a younger partner, is not yet married to him, and does not have any of her own children, reinforces her character as a woman of unusual status, living freely without meeting societal expectations, though still aware of the ways in which she is at a disadvantage. Margo knows the superficial atmosphere in which she thrives cannot be relied upon to fulfil her life’s purpose, for despite her successful career, she still desires faithful companionship in her personal life.
Along with Margo’s inner troubles, there is the insidious influence of the young stranger, Eve. Eve’s excessive modesty and willingness to help is readily accepted by the majority of characters, seeing her as a harmless nobody. However, her insistence on her desire to be of assistance, her admiration of the great Margo, and her dismissal of any personal positive qualities becomes choking over the course of the film, leaving the audience as frustrated with her as Margo becomes. It is evident that Eve’s character is related to the biblical Eve, the temptress who leads Adam to sin, but the plot does not allow her to be invincible, and her compulsive lying soon leads to her downfall. Eve is eventually aligned with DeWitt, in whom she meets her match until he exposes her, and the two of them are evidently marked as the manipulative, heartless individuals, as opposed to the authentic, good-natured group of individuals formed by Margo, Bill, Karen, and Lloyd.
And this is what stands out of All About Eve; in spite of all the fuss which Eve created, and all the attention she received, ultimately, what is most important is the union of friends. The sincere characters, who do not wish ill on others, come together in love and companionship, supporting one another and celebrating each other. Margo learns to trust and is able to mature emotionally as well as physically, embracing the future without fear.
“Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”
Elusive Vixen 