5/21/2023 0 Comments Stella dallasIt’s an aesthetic that calls to mind architect Adolf Loos’ “Ornament and Crime,” which argued against ornamentation in all creative arts for its impracticality and wastefulness. There’s an expectation for Stella to abandon her working-class patterns of consumption and adornment, to dress in a manner that subtly alludes to their wealth through a restrained approach that is free of visual excess. As an instrument of the upper class, where mannerisms and unwritten rules of taste are passed down from generation to generation, he’s invested in enforcing social hierarchy in addition to patriarchy. Of course, Stephen’s descriptor “cheap” is also saturated with classism. When he displays contempt for “those earrings, that cheap imitation necklace,” she snaps back to assert her own authority over the realm of fashion: “I’ve always been known to have stacks of style.” Coupled with the opening scene, this early display of defiance exemplifying her unyielding nature establishes Stella as a woman who is devoted to the expression of personal style above companionship. One explicit instance of her refusal takes place after attending a ball, where Stella returns home wearing jewellery that she seemingly removed at Stephen’s request. Along a line of thinking that grants agency to Stella, her flagrant disregard for dress codes works to destabilise both traditional looking relations and the social stratification maintained by fashion. She dutifully performs as a refined woman who is eager to please until her wealth is firmly secured with a marriage contract and a child, and subsequently casts the role aside to furnish a maximalist wardrobe filled with prints and decorative elements through her newfound resources. When Stella’s resourcefulness is foregrounded, the possibility of a resistant reading emerges, and her failure to assimilate into her husband’s life becomes a refusal. Given its devastating conclusion – Stella tearfully watches her daughter’s wedding through a window in the rain while a police officer escorts her away – it’s no surprise that the film is frequently cited as an example of a “weepie” that exemplifies the helpless, sacrificial mother.įortunately, not all is lost for our sartorially adventurous protagonist. Barbara Stanwyck and Anne Shirley – who played Laurel – earned Academy Award nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for their enduring performances, firmly cementing the film as a maternal melodrama. Released in 1937, King Vidor’s Stella Dallas was a remake of the 1925 silent film also produced by Samuel Goldwyn and adapted from Olive Higgins Prouty’s novel of the same name. Realising that her transgressions have caused Laurel to become a subject of ridicule, Stella officially severs ties to her family and relinquishes a relationship with her daughter in order to secure Laurel’s successful integration into high society. However, Stella’s class differences become apparent through her increasingly flamboyant outfits and their relationship dissolves as quickly as it began, with Laurel caught in the middle. This calculated exchange, involving the strategic presentation of her body, sets in motion her plan to become upwardly mobile.Įventually, Stella seduces Stephen with a staged encounter that positions her as a desirable domestic partner, enters a marriage with the moneyed man, and gives birth to their daughter Laurel. When he approaches her fence to light a cigarette, she feigns disinterest, but her facade is instantly dropped when she lowers the book to intently observe him as he continues strolling. Though several men carrying lunch boxes greet Stella, she pays them no attention the object of her affections is Stephen Dallas (John Boles), a wealthy executive of the town mill. Stella Dallas opens with a brief series of shots in which the titular character (née Martin) exits her front door at the sight of workers returning home, tidies the ruffled collar of her blouse, smooths her hair, and poses while reading a carefully selected collection of poetry on her front lawn.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |