Review of The Snake Pit (1948) by Maria V — 26 Mar 2010
Does an excellent job of balancing out the "injustices of the system" stuff with details of the patient's actual mental illness - it wouldn't work if the deck was totally stacked to try and make mental institutions seem villainous.
And I think what has helped this film age well, besides some great performances, is the focus on the present experience of the patient in the system rather than the treatment/psychoanalysis angle - I mean, the emphasis on diagnosis is what makes "Spellbound" look so ridiculous now, but by focusing more on the turmoil of the symptoms rather than concrete explanation this film still works.
Of course, this is why the final 20 min or so of the film don't work quite as well - they inevitably hit on some roots of psychosis and let the protagonist come off as a little too triumphant, which feels more rote than the events that precede it - but even with the shaky conclusion this is still one hell of a ride.
This review of The Snake Pit (1948) was written by Maria V on 26 Mar 2010.
The Snake Pit has generally received very positive reviews.
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