All About Eve

Director - Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Cast- Bette Davis, Anne Baxter

Country of Origin - U.S.
 

Distributor - Criterion

Number of Discs - 1

Reviewed by - Scott MacDonald

Date- 12/18/2019

Margo (the immortal Bette Davis) is an aging Broadway actress, who finds her star is fading. This is made more obvious by her sudden relationship with Eve played by Anne Baxter. Eve involves herself in Margo's life first as an assitant and working up to her understudy. All the while her demeanor gives way to her true motivation, to reach the top where Margo currently stands by any means necessary.

    All About Eve is a truly marvelous picture from 1950 that would play as an excellent double feature with Billy Wilder's similar (But nowhere near the same) Sunset Boulevard as both films show the decline of aging female actors, albeit from different perspectives.   This film plays from the Broadway perspective, of course, but still applies. Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's directs the film in a simple workman like manner that allows the film's writing and performances to shine through to near perfection, and make no mistake, those are truly the most important parts to this film.

    The performances across the board from Bette Davis and Anne Baxter all the way down to George Sanders are pitch perfect. The writing from the sharp and witty, but never pretentious dialogue. Even the character names are wondrous (Addison Dewitt) and feel both satiric, but real, and lived in.  

    Criterion's Blu-ray release is the 2nd domestic Blu-ray of All About Eve following a 2011 edition from Fox, that looked excellent for the time. The Criterion edition is derived from a new 4k scan, and looks wonderful. The transfer looks well-detailed, and natural, with solid grain, and contrast. Audio is handled by an LPCM mono track in English, that sounds fantastic. Extras include commentary tracks, documentaries, TV episodes that relate o the film, and so much more. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED