The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

With all of the schemes, intrigue, sexual undertones and murder this is a very rare and so incredibly original post-wartime movie. Many have cited this as the inspiration for the much later 'Neo-Noir' alongside, another Stanwyck classic 'Double Indemnity'. Unlike the latter feature, this film is not filled with cold and brooding images. The film starts off dramatically with a strong cameo by Judith 'Mrs. Danvers' Anderson. The teen-aged actors that portray Stanwyck's, Heflin's, and Douglas's characters as youths deliver very moving performances. They capture the tension of murderess Martha's wicked deed. The teen-aged actors pull off the difficult task of linking their characters with the mature characters- a great start to this bold film. Personally, Barbara Stanwyck is the best of the 'Golden Hollywood' queens, and displays why with this subtle yet sly performance. Unlike many of the other criminals she portrayed, Barbara is cold-blooded rather than hysterically evil and occasionally reveals the blood that boils behind her gray eyes. Her lethal attraction to Heflin is passionate at the same time as chilling. It is a true triumph that the colourful relationship between the two sizzles on the screen without the use of lush, colourful cinematography! The black and white colour highlights the gloom of the piece. Van Heflin swaggers through the film, giving a satisfactory performance as the wronged kid 'from the wrong side of the tracks'. Many have praised Lizabeth Scott for her sultry performance as the equally dubious Toni Marachek. This is true. She is a worthy foe for Stanwyck, and in some scenes does steal the attention away from her co-stars. Now, many have criticised Kirk Douglas's performance as over-acted and unconvincing. I have to disagree. Perhaps for many audiences, it is too much of a shock to see the usually rugged, manly Douglas playing an unstable Daddy's boy manipulated by his wife, and cowardly towards the end. It is a difficult role, but Douglas retains the wimpish quality of Walter from start to finish, also depending on the actions and control of his unbalanced wife. Towering performances, a gloomy soundtrack, and dark cinematography make this feature dazzle as one of the best 'film noir' genre produced in the 1940s. Lizabeth Scott in particular gives a commanding performance, which generates interest, glamour and suspicion. These are the stem of the themes to this great film. Brilliant as it was 59 years ago!

I've been watching this, in part and almost in full, since local TV showed old movies. I never much liked it. When it came around recently, I wanted to give it a fair shot and see it straight through. And: It actually is not very good. Only Lizbeth Scott is near her best, which was never so hot anyway. Stanwyck almost parodies herself. Douglas is OK in a thankless role. And Heflin seems to be sleepwalking through it. Something about it never rings true. It's as if these big-name performers are slumming. Judith Anderson, as Stanwyck's grandmother, is truly worthy of our hatred when she stamps a cat to death. But the rest seems formulaic and predictable. The one interesting aspect for me was the final scene between Douglas and Stanwyck, the title Martha. He is weak; she is strong but unhappy. I am not suggesting intentional plagiarism in any way but maybe this made an impression on Edward Albee. It strangely foretells the famous scene in which another Martha answers her own weak husband's question with, "I am, George. I am."

Great movie. This is probably one of the most "complex" story lines in all of Noir. The moral ambiguity makes it impossible to determine how you want the characters lives to turn out. The viewer is pulled in so many directions and because of the moral complexity I found myself pulling for the corrupt characters despite their flaws. Stanwyck was amazing. This was my first noir with Van Heflin and I thought he was just spot on with his performance. A very young Kirk Douglas chews up the scenery with an over the top performance that none the less works perfectly for his character. Lizabeth Scott as Heflin's secondary love interest was also excellent. I am amazed that this film, in the noir genre, has not gotten more attention. It's really a work of art and stands up as relevant and moving 65 years after it's release. Awesome movie!