The Heiress (1949)

Shy and plain, the wealthy Catherine Sloper is courted by the charming and handsome Morris Townsend; her successful father suspects other motives than love for the attention Morris lavishes upon his daughter.  Adapted from Washington Square, the classic novel by Henry James, William Wyler's 1949 film The Heiress stars Olivia de Havilland, Montgomery Clift, and Ralph Richardson.  An examination the relationships between Catherine and Morris and between Catherine and her father, The Heiress showcases Wyler, de Havilland, and Richardson at their absolute best.

The film begins with Catherine Sloper (Olivia de Havilland) preparing for a party she is attending with her father (Ralph Richardson) and aunt, she decides to wear one of her mother's dresses: her father says she looks good in the dress, but not nearly as good as her mother did.  Catherine is both plain and painfully shy, and her father believes that she is of little worth aside from her wealth and will never find a respectable husband, though her aunt seems to believe otherwise.  At the party she meets the charming Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift), who seems to be very much interested.  Over the course of a few days, Morris calls on Catherine several times, eventually her father invites him to dine with the family; at dinner it becomes apparent that he is penniless, while Catherine is poised to inherit a substantial sum. Morris and Catherine become engaged shortly thereafter, prompting much strife with her bitter father who believes (with very good reason) that he is only after her money.  Catherine and her father's battle of wills leads to a revelation that will shake Catherine to her core, and do irreparable damage to their (already strained) relationship and the relationship between Catherine and Morris.

Olivia de Havilland, as the heiress of the title, is simply phenomenal in the lead; she convincingly portrayed Catherine as the naive and emotionally starved girl she was at the beginning, as well as the bitter and jaded spinster she is at the end.  As the emotionally abusive Dr. Sloper, Ralph Richardson is great; he successfully conveyed  the disappointment, the bitterness, and the longing for the unattainable necessary to make the character work. In particular, his conveyance of the character's idealized vision of his late wife was subtle, but very effective.  It is hardly a stretch to imagine a child would be neglected in a household in which they are not worthy unless they equal the father's idealized vision of the late mother.  As Morris, Catherine's morally ambiguous would-be husband, Montgomery Clift gives one of his best early performances, though he is overshadowed by the masterful performances given by both de Havilland and Richardson.

The film's storyline has the right mix of drama, romance, and surprise to make it both a riveting and a memorable watch.  In contrast to most films of any era, I was unable to discern the ending of The Heiress until a final scene that is both triumphant and sorrowful.  The romance between Catherine and Morris is sweet at the beginning, it is hard not to smile while the love-starved Catherine is being wooed for the first time in her life, and extremely bitter at the end.  Though most romance films focusing on a gold-digging men trying to seduce a homely, but wealthy, woman are typically very black and white in their morality; that is not the case in The Heiress.  It begs a question often dismissed: can a marriage based on looks (Morris) and money (Catherine) be happy, or is love necessary?  Wyler does a very wise thing in the film: he asks that question, but chooses not to answer it, and that makes the film truly memorable.  

The technical aspects of the film are exceptional, it is filmed to great effect in black and white befitting the subject matter.  The makeup on Olivia de Havilland is done well; it makes her look plain (which she wasn't) and like herself, which is often difficult for makeup artists to do, even with today's technology.  The (Academy Award winning) costumes are phenomenal, the entire cast is able to perform well without looking out of place in the 19th century dress.

William Wyler, one of the most versatile directors in cinematic history, crafted a romantic-drama that is disturbing, shocking, and thoroughly memorable.  All in all, The Heiress is a masterpiece of the highest order, featuring one of the greatest performances by Olivia de Havilland (deservedly winning her second Oscar for the film), one of cinema's greatest actresses.

10/10

Note: This review was previously posted on another blog I wrote.