Review of Madame Bovary (1949) by Kevin N — 02 Mar 2013

A frustrating movie experience that is so visually alive yet so dead in almost every other aspect. I admit, Gustave Flaubert's story of Madame Bovary bores me almost to tears, and when I'm not bored of the thing I'm angry.

Flaubert's intention (as well as scriptwriter Robert Ardrey and director Vincente Minnelli) was to put under a magnifying glass the life of a woman who, from an outside perspective, was beyond all moral understanding.

To be honest, no matter how close we get, my opinion of such a character doesn't change. The underlying message to the story is one of misinterpreted dreams, a misunderstanding of reality from a young age; Emma's background is shown as one spent reading Cinderella stories, dreaming of her Prince Charming.

When Doctor Bovary finally comes and marries her, she is so disappointed with his love (and real love it truly is) that she drifts from one lover to another, searching for an impossible fairy tale romance that she'll never find.

This is what you'll find in the unbearable two-hour runtime of Minnelli's movie, drenched in melodrama and dominated by the overacting of Jennifer Jones, who portrays the infamous Emma Bovary here.

What's a shame is that Minnelli's style is polished and impressive here, his nuanced camera capturing some truly remarkable compositions within reflections and tightly decorated party scenes. Unfortunately, the story, for me, is bogged down by its futile mission and totally unlikable portrait of a woman who was never meant to be happy.