Review of The Snake Pit (1948) by Adam E — 27 Aug 2010

This classic from 1948 was one of the first movies that would touch on the issues of mental health, and what this movie does is very impressive.

The Snake Pit begins with a woman who doesn't know where she is. She is to later realize that her husband (who she doesn't remember marrying) commited her to an asylum. Through pycho analysis, one of the doctors tries to discover why a once seemingly normal woman had developed stressful symptoms and amnesia. The movie is mostly a narative from inside the mind of the lead actress. The story is pretty well constructed (based on the novel) and the preformance from Olivia de Havilland was wonderful. She would later be nominated for an Academy Award.

The movie itself was very well done. This movie really works out well because it focuses on the lead character and her stressful confusion. The movie gives the audience a sence of her thoughts and what she's going through. There is a great shot that really symbolises the "Snake Pit" reference, and at the end you get this flashback sequence that reminded me of the twist endings at the end of the Saw movies.

For classic movie lovers, this movie is a gem, and it was quite important in the rise of other movie makers tackling more deeper, personal, and taboo subjects. This movie gave that rise a good boost, and on top of that, it was entertaining to watch too.