Black Swan, All About Eve, and Amadeus
January 10, 2011Early last month, the much anticipated psychological thriller from Darren Aronofsky, “Black Swan”, debuted in US theaters. Focused on the highly competitive world of the New York City Ballet, it is headlined by Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey and Winona Ryder. The internet was all abuzz for most of 2010 about Portman’s training for the role, and a steamy kissing scene she shares with Kunis.
Yet rivalry, especially rivalry among women, has been a juicy topic for films for quite some time. It might have started with 1950′s “All About Eve”, starring Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm, and Thelma Ritter. Nominated for 14 Oscars, all four of these actresses were nominated for their roles in this film. There are no steamy female makeout scenes in this film (it was released in 1950, in the USA, after all), but you definitely notice what a caniving schemer disguised as biggest fan Eve Harrington (Baxter’s character) is through the course of the story.
When I think of other really good movies about jealousy and rivalry, I also remember Milos Forman’s “Amadeus”, released in 1984. It is based on the Peter Shaffer play of the same name that had been running on Broadway since the late 1970s. “Amadeus” is not an accurate depiction of Salieri, Mozart and how they related or felt about each other as professional composers in late 18th century Vienna, Austria; however, it IS highly entertaining as a rivalry story. Both the play and the movie are told through Salieri’s eyes, beholding Mozart’s phenomenal talent and being awed by it, and yet disgusted by Mozart’s silly playboy personality. How can such such brilliant talent belong to a brute? Salieri is tormented by the question of why God would bless an idiot womanizer with musical genius while he, Salieri, is well mannered but mediocre? In a funny case of art not imitating life, F. Murray Abraham won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Salieri; Tom Hulce, also nominated for Best Actor, played Mozart. To this day you can ask anyone who saw the movie whether they hate or love Hulce’s “Mozart laugh”, or even judge for yourself on Youtube clips (PS-this blogger loved it).
I could probably write a whole blogpost (if not blog) about other rivalries, like love triangle movies–My Best Friends Wedding (1997), the recent Twillight saga (2008-2010), Phantom of the Opera (multiple versions since 1925), Gone With the Wind (1939), Casablanca (1942), Sabrina (1954, 1995) but that’s for another time.
What are your favorite jealousy or rivalry movies?
