“Dragonwyck” (1946)

Dragonwyck

Brief Description:

A simple Connecticut farm girl is recruited by a distant relative, an aristocratic patroon, to be governess to his young daughter in his Hudson Valley mansion. 

(from IMDb)

Date: 1946

Genre: American period drama adaptation 

Running time: 1 hour 43 minutes

Cast: 

Gene Tierney as Miranda Wells

Vincent Price as Nicholas van Ryn

Walter Huston as Ephraim Wells

Glenn Langan as Dr. Jeff Turner

Anne Revere as Abigail Wells

Spring Byington as Magda

Connie Marshall as Katrine Van Ryn

Harry Morgan as Bleecker

Jessica Tandy as Peggy

Vivienne Osborne as Johanna Van Ryn

Trudy Marshall as Elizabeth Van Borden

Larry Steers as Servant

Grady Sutton as Hotel Clerk

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Production company: 20th Century-Fox

Based on: Dragonwyck by Anya Seton

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Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 5/5

I originally watched this just after watching Rebecca and totally fell in love because it was very similar in vibe/aesthetic. I've never heard of the Hudson River patroons before, so I enjoyed that part of the setting immensely. Of course I also really enjoyed the luxurious setting of Dragonwyck and the gorgeous period dresses 😉 

Characters: 4/5

Miranda was a sweet, brave girl and I appreciated her faith. (Also, Gene Tierney reminds me insanely of Katherine Hepburn somehow?!) Nicholas reminded me of Max DeWinter from Rebecca at first, but he quickly disintegrated. Jeff was a much nicer fellow, naturally, and Katrine was cute, though I wasn't a fan of Johanna. Ephraim Wells frustrated me terribly at the beginning of the film, but towards the end I understood and appreciated him and his wife a little (little) bit more, though I still did not like his high-handed ways and roughshod Christianity.  

Plot: 4/5

I watched this film twice, and didn't remember much of it the second time I did. It's very romantic, with a backwoods country girl moving into the rich aristocrats' world and finding herself well out of her depth, while two handsome men interested in her. The story quickly progresses into drama, then tragedy, but ends with a note of hope. I liked it so much the first time—I was rather indifferent this time—so I think I need to try it a third time lol. 

Romance: 4/5

Obviously Nicolas' and Miranda's love is dangerous in the sense that he's clearly a terrible fellow for her to marry, but Miranda handles it well and I think that whole storyline does well as a message. I also wasn't a fan of the one or two insinuations that he fell in love with her while still married, but nothing happened and she certainly did not encourage him or even seem to realize what was happening. 

Theme/Message/Topics: /5

The storyline of Nicolas' passion of remaining in his ancestral land, and refusing to sell it to the tenants who farmed it for generations and more than paid for it, was very interesting. For a while I was on his side, because I couldn't see why they were any more right than he was... it gave me a lot to think of. It also reminded me a lot of the French Revolution... 

Anyways, I was a huge fan of the pro-life message as Miranda fights for her crippled maid and then her son.

Content: 4/5 (low)

A few kisses; a few low-necked dresses; a main character is revealed to be a drug addict; a ghost ancestor haunts the Van Ryn house and sings when a death comes to the household. Also Ephraim Wells is borderline verbally/spiritually abusive in a few scenes. 

Violence: 4/5 (low)

Attempted stabbing; murder; attempted murder; a man is shot + killed in self-defence. 

Overall: 4/5

It's a melodrama, but I like it. Again, it reminds me of Rebecca, though not as good, and I'd like to try the novel.