Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
Chosen by Ni from a facebook request where she had this to say "it's odd and lovely"
A talky, slightly dull retelling of the Flying Dutchman tale.
It's rather well shot shot but stagy in it's direction and the ponderous voice-over is there to smooth over the cracks in storytelling (the passage of time is a little confusing/undefined).
It's central thesis, quoted in my title is not as romantic as it thinks it is and instead presents a deeply problematic response to female sexual independence. Literally she has to die to give him his release from a curse. We're meant to believe it's for love but see no evidence of that, no reason that Mason is any better a fit for her than the Bullfighter or race car driver.
Gardner is a beauty but can never quite make the collection of odd quirks into a character, and she is still miles more interesting than anybody else.
There is a selfishness and demonic humour to her moving through life just trailing men behind her but despite suicide, destruction and murder attempts (also a dog is killed - off screen - if that kind of thing bothers you) the movie is too staid and boring to make her an icon of empowerment instead her purpose in life is to be the solution to a man's problem.
Tell people individual elements and it could sound like a fun over-the-top melodrama but it's too lethargically paced, and too po-faced in it's morality.
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