Review of The Letter (1940) by Matthew A — 06 Feb 2007

Bette Davis could do it all. No role was too big or too small. This time she is playing a woman who has done some very violent things. She is not above killing people to get what she desires. Her performance is so evil and heartless that it is so easy to hate her at times in this. She fools and toys with everyone. What makes her behave this way, well, that is open to interpretation. Maybe it was the isolation, the absence of her husband all the time or possibly she was just evil.

However, the film is a perfect example of what can be called manipulative women, and Bette Davis was one the great at playing this.