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Beyond the Forest [VHS]

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Beyond the Forest is the kind of film that has to be seen to be believed. The last film Bette Davis made at Warner's and a huge flop when released, it is interesting for those reasons alone.

What unfolds on-screen is so ludicrous and trashy, yet at the same time grand and dramatic. Max Steiner's score, complete with an orchestral rendition of Chicago that becomes more and more maddening as the film progresses, is a highlight. You will never think of the song Chicago the same way again. Equally remarkable is the visually stylish production, as glossy and spectacular as Warner at its peak could provide, complete with sets including a great burning mill and the memorable ending where Rosa Moline (Bette Davis) approaches the train for the last time..

The story is quite magnificent, but the script is a mess! Characters, including Rosa, are weakly-defined. We never learn why Rosa's husband is not turned off by her viciousness, or what brought him to love her in the first place. Rosa is an interesting character mostly because she isn't explained. This could be the film's strength--explaining her away could reveal her has a less complex character, and Rosa is one of the most complex the screen has encountered. Just hearing her name--Rosa Moline--and you know instantly what kind of woman she is. I guess that is enough.

What Rosa really wants is life in the big city. She can't stand being married to Joe Cotten, her Dr. husband who is presented as good (the script never really digs in to give us any reasons to feel for him or think of him in any other way than how Rosa sees him--boring). Therefore, we find ourselves shamelessly rooting for Rosa--hoping she'll get out of the boring marriage in the boring hick town, yet in her way are an amazing amount of obstacles.

What the film becomes, which surprised me, is an almost intelligent and (intended or not) humorous look at a woman stuck in a cowtown, surrounded by idiots, willing to do anything (including murder) to get out! The last scene, in which Rosa stares yearningly at the rain leaving for Chicago, is a stunner. It amazes me how a film as trashy as Beyond the Forest, bad script and all, can be such a brilliant film.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder once acclaimed the Hollywood melodramas of Douglas Sirk, because the people who were said to be 'good' in such films - conformist, hypocritical, family-valuing - can seem repugnant to the audience; while those deemed 'bad' - socially disruptive, unfeminine/unmasculine, sexual but sterile/impotent - are usually sympathetic in spite of the plots. From the film's opening titles - 'This is the story of evil. Evil is headstrong - is puffed up. For our soul's sake, it is salutary for us to view it in all its ugly nakedness once in a while' - Rose Moline (Bette Davis) has it stacked against her. Her all-American town, with its work and family business, is ominously empty because of her. She is on trial for murder, and not only has she got the 12 men of the jury holding her life in the balance, but the narrator is against her too, and actually speaks for the judge. As the film continues, she proves to be everything a good girl in a 1949 film is not - she hates her good husband, and despises the confines of her communal, small-town environment. She enjoys sex purely for pleasure, not procreation. She bullies her Indian maid. When we see this middle-aged woman desperate for luxury, fondling furs, exploiting the patients of her doctor husband to fund shopping trips in Chicago, we are supposed to mock and be repelled. Her husband, played in exemplary 'gentle' mode by Joseph Cotton, is a near-saint who not only puts up with this harpy, but is aligned to all the good, honorable characters in the film - Rose's sole ally, her lover, is as nastily selfish and sexually voracious as she. Later - shock - she even attempts an abortion.

'Evil', indeed. Rose hasn't a single redeeming feature, and Bette Davis' contemptuous, eye-rolling performance (she felt demeaned by this sort of 'trashy' material, and left Warner Brothers acrimoniously soon after) doesn't help. It's easy to see who we're supposed to root for. Rose is the transgressive woman that was the nightmare for Eisenhower's robotic, post-war America. But, I don't think King Vidor, director of 'Stella Dallas', the greatest of all 'women's pictures', thinks Rose is evil. 'Beyond the Forest', which rises to Expressionist heights, always remains true to its (anti-)heroine's worldview, her overwhelming needs and her sense of confinement. Vidor is the great Hollywood director of nature, environment and the American outdoors, but these aren't just shaping influences on Rose's imprisonment, powerful though they be. When the saw-mill burns at night, flaring through Rose's bedroom window on the night she decides to flee to Chicago, it is a kind of prison warden, constantly staring at and judging her; but it is also an emanation of her consuming desire and her dream of escape (the mill is linked to the train); later, it might even be the hellfires (or burning stake) to which she is sacrificed as a laatterday witch.

Similarly, the forest of the title, with which she identifies, is clipped and cut down by men, just as Rose's sexuality (forests being ancient metaphors for this) is expected to channel itself in babymaking. In the film's most chilling moment, her good and decent husband, despite all the evidence of her crimes, says she must still have a baby - this, apparently, is how good women avoid the 'eternal death' said to be evil's fate in the prologue. When women are dehumanised like this - men who run away from family, such as Moose, are hypocritically forgiven - is it any wonder they might rebel? Rose's qualities - her individualism, her energy, her desire for freedom - would be heroic in a man (especially in a Western), but are seen as grotesque in a woman, especially in a post-war context, when they were expected to leave the factories and return to the kitchen. One American ideal - individualism - must give way to another - soulless conformity. I know whose side I'm on.

Yes, this film carries that immortalized line, "What a dump!". This is, however, about all it does. This was the end of the line for Bette Davis in terms of her career at Warner Brothers. I cannot imagine that she voluntarilty did this film, however, as she is made to look ridiculous. With an unbecoming, long, black, gypsy wig plastered to her head, tight fitting youthful clothing on her by now matronly form, and garish makeup, all she is missing is a crystal ball, Ms. Davis tries to make the audience believe that she is the town femme fatale for whom all men hunger, and all woman envy. Unfortunately, this is one of the few times that she fails to succeed.

Here, Davis plays the amoral Rose Moline, a lusty, small town gal in Loyalton, Wisconsin, hankering for the big city life in Chicago. Married to small town general practitioner, Dr. Lewis Moline, a regular Casper Milquetoast, played with long suffering saintliness by Joseph Cotten, Rose lives in the best house in town, has a maid whom she verbally abuses, and lacks for nothing, except the excitement to which she feels entitled. In her eyes, her husband is nothing more than an albatross around her neck, a serious impediment to her life's dream. They simply do not speak the same language, and the viewer is left to wonder what it was that ever made them get married in the first place.

Rose ends up having an affair with hunky Chicago millionaire, Neil Latimer (David Brian), thinking that he will marry her and take her away from all this. Rose will literally stop at nothing to secure this one chance to leave her past behind and begin the life for which she has always hungered. Davis, however, never succeeds in convincing the viewer that her romance with millionaire industrialist Neil Latimer has any realistic chance of success. In fact, the scenes of Rose in Chicago, pleading her case with Latimer as he makes it clear that he is spurning her, are the best scenes in the entire film. When it later appears that he intends to marry her, after all, it is patently not believable, and the film descends into the ridiculous. When a monkey wrench is thrown into her plans on the brink of success, a desperate Rose will stop at nothing, even murder, to ensure her heart's desire.

Davis plays her role with utter abandonment, and the viewer has to wonder whether her over the top, cartoonish performance was her pay back to Warner Brothers for making her do this film. While Davis often has been lauded for her over the top performances, this is not, unfortunately, one of her more notable ones. Moreover, the ending of the film is heavy handed and mawkish, sending the viewer the age old message that evil will not triumph in a most melodramatic fashion. Still, fans of Bette Davis will enjoy this film, as will lovers of classic, vintage films.

"The ultimate portrait in Bette Davis's long gallery of evil dames." The New York Times

"I'm not just any woman. I'm Rosa Moline!" And Rosa Moline (Bette Davis) is not cut out for small-town life. She finds being in Loyalton, Wisconsin "like lying in a coffin and waiting for them to carry you out." She finds marriage to gentle counry doctor Lewis Moline (Joseph Cotton) a bore. And she's equally dissatisfied with the modest comforts of their house ("What a dump!"). What she does want ~ and she wants it with a passion ~ is life in the big city: Chicago. And she wants it with millionaire Neil Latimer (David Bryan), with whom she's having an affair. Entirely devoid of scruples, Rosa will go to any lenghts ~ evin murder ~ to satisfy her desires.

This film, banned by the Legion of Decency, stirred up a lot of controversy when it was released. The New York Times said: "Of all the no-good women Bette Davis has portrayed" this one is the most callous and calculated friend. "Her" selfishness and cruelties are on a virtually extrahuman plane." Forty years later, director King Vidor's steamy excersize in longing has become a cult film and a favorite with Davis admirers!

This is a fantastic Bette Davis classic, that I highly suggest to all.

Bette Davis never missed a chance to blast this movie and her enemies eagerly jumped in to join the condemnation. Today, though, this extraordinary movie could well contain la Davis' greatest performance. No other star then would ever have portrayed such a vicious psychopath. Scene after scene brims with Davis' volcanic intensity (probably because she really did hate the director and Warner Brothers). Max Steiner's powerful score is among his greatest. Everything from photography to King Vidor's over-the-top direction makes this a must-have classic. Besides, Davis perfectly reflects frustrated housewives of that era who adopted Maria Montez looks, i.e. long, black tresses, dark make-up, plunging clevage. Those relentlessly smoking factory chimneys, that glistening, long train are remarkable props for probably the most sensual movie to come out of Hollywood in the forties. Davis never wanted to see this. She gave interview after interview pulverizing not only this masterwork but another great classic, In This Our Life. Bravo to the screen's greatest artist!

This is a cult film that gets better with each viewing! Shot in two styles, melodrama in Wisconsin (really somewhere west) and film noir style when the film moves to Chicago. The editing is wild (two people kiss as it fades out, the fade in is an ax driving into a tree then immediately a pregnancy is revealed), the dialogue is full of double entendres (David Brian returns for Bette Davis and when is asked why did you return, he says "I had a taste for venison"). The ending is over the top, Bette is crawling to get to the most phallic looking train in film history). Very uncomplimentary to Wisconsin (the only person that does anyone a favor in this town is the undertaker) and NEVER passed by the censor board of the day, Beyond the Forest is a lot of fun!!! Enjoy!!

This is the much-maligned King Vidor film from 1949 whose opening line, uttered by Davis as Rosa Moline, is "What a dump!" (Edward Albee borrowed it as Martha's opening line in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.) The overheated plot has to do with frustrated passions, adultery and homicide in small-town Wisconsin. Joseph Cotten as Dr. Moline all but vanishes, and David Brian is, well, David Brian (he had but one arrow in his quiver). There are stretches where the only interest lies in gaping at Davis long black wig -- though her excursion to the big bad city is wonderful. But the film's final moments redeem it. Davis, sick with peritonitis from a botched abortion, abuses her Native American maid, gulps gallons of water, slaps on her makeup and finery, and crawls toward a train whose whistle seems to shreik "Chicago, Chicago!" It's an eye-popping, over-the-top cinematic Liebestod.

There has been so much buzz about this film and it's placement as Bette's worst role (she even hated it). This film is just a camp classic on many levels. It may be that ridiculous black wig that Bette wears, or maybe the fact that she is in her early '40s, and playing a character in her early '30s. It could be that over-acted court room scene, or maybe even the way Bette puffs on those cigarettes and rolls her eyes (as if she is mocking herself!) Whatever it is, I absolutely love this movie for those reasons listed above! Also, there is a rumor that Bette purposely turned out that performance to mock her studio because she fought to NOT play this role. Needless to say, this film ended her contract with the Warners studio. It may not be a classic, it may not even be a good film, but it is definitely amusing and an absolute must-see!

Take one drag queen, slap a Morticia Addams-style wig on her,tell her to impersonate Bette Davis, and then plop her down in a drab Wisconsin mill town, and you'll have "Rosa Moline", a negative-minded, complaining, unattractive hag. "Beyond the Forest" is one of my all-time favorite Bette Davis movies. Bette was a pro. She was nothing short of genius in her great movies, supremely, tackily entertaining in her bad ones, and certainly never dull. She hated making this Midwestern version of "Madame Bovary." She begged Jack Warner not to make her do it, but she did-in spades! Add to this a supporting cast playing it "straight", a vivid but cartoonish score by Max Steiner (the score resembles a Carl Stallings Looney Tunes score), and in-your-face symbolism by director King Vidor, and you have a camp classic. See this film with a group of gay men, and you'll have a sure-fire laugh-filled evening! Bette Davis, we love you.

This 1949 King Vidor classic, starring Betty Davis, Joseph Cotten, David Brian and a great supporting cast is unforgettable. Betty Davis in one of her darkest roles, stars as Rose Moline a Milwaukee, small town doctor's wife, who's bored with her surroundings and wants to live in "the big city" of Chicago. Davis quickly falls in love with visiting, wealthy casanova and scoundrel David Brian and devices an evil scheme to leave her husband and surroundings, to hopefully live in Chicago with Brian, but fate has other plans for Rose. Definitely one of Bette Davis' greatest performances!