The Snake Pit

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Deke P epic mental asylum movie. Starring Olivia DeHavilland, who played Melanie in GWTW. Very long. Saw it on the telly 9.8.23, Note to sef, pay more attention to parts next time, if there is one. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/09/23 Full Review Georgan G This classic was made long before the public knew much about mental illness. And it ended up helping laws change re treatment. de Havilland's acting was superb and gave the lead character true depth. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/20/23 Full Review Steve M What if you woke up and you were in the nut house? and you didn't remember how you got there or where you lived before. Pretty scary. Well done movie shows how the doctor digs into her past to see what caused her problems. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/05/23 Full Review Audience Member I loved the book, liked the movie version. Olivia de Havilland, wow- did such an AMAZING job playing the lead I couldn't take my eyes off her. Her acting, expressions, everything. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review kevin w Olivia DeHavilland scorches the earth in her portrayal of a woman who awakens to find herself in a mental hospital without a reason why, and indeed without reason. It's a rare work that engages the disenfranchised so courageously and with such searing honesty. While the depiction of the overseeing doctor, his methods, and diagnosis might be problematic, as well as the problem resolution, there is no doubt about the presentation. Excellent work. Must see. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review William L "Patient confused and disoriented. Lacks insight and judgement." Dang, they could have locked ME away in an asylum back in 1948. The Snake Pit is brought to life by an excellent performance from de Havilland and a tremendously entertaining and diverse supporting cast among Virginia's fellow patients, and the film was groundbreaking in its treatment of mental illness, but the actual plot is surprisingly dull. Instead of diving into the intense discomfort of an unreliable narrator in unknown circumstances as a sort of blend between Shutter Island and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Snake Pit feels more pedantic, treating some rather conventional childhood misfortune as if it were some devastating revelation. Still, the film deserves credit both for its spot-on casting and its depiction of mental instability as less of an irredeemable fault or a softly whispered diagnosis among polite company, instead portraying its subjects as lifelike, empathetic characters worthy of respect and putting forth major criticisms of the structure by which 'treatment' was applied to those suffering during the period. Also, Betsy Blair looks exactly like a female Eddie Redmayne. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/21/21 Full Review Read all reviews

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