Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
Been immensely enjoying the Murderous Melodramas selection by Criterion Channel, and this feels almost like a prototype for that specific type of movie. Lovely Technicolor texture everywhere. It is somewhat slower going and less bombastic than the movies from the 50s in this vein, but what it does have - is Gene Tierney as the ultimate archetype of a scheming insane woman. Her jealousy is all consuming, her manipulation goes above and beyond - ending in a wild finale. I was quite surprised with how far it goes, especially with one quiet drawn out horrible scene, as it didn’t expect that kind of display of calculated calm cruelty from Hollywood in the 40s. I admit it was a bit boring at times, but all worth it for where it ends up.
Rating: 3.5