Un rostro de mujer

Crawford has one of the more complex roles ever given her. Playing a scarred woman who hates everything and everybody, she shows depth in her performance that she'd never shown before. Director Cukor got her to tone done her usual overacting (no mean feat) and she beautifully underplays the role. Exciting story, beautiful settings, good acting, incredible directing...it's a wonder this film isn't better known. Well worth seeing, especially if you're a Crawford fan.

This film may surpass even Joan Crawford's Oscar-winning performance in `Mildred Pierce' as the best of her career. `A Woman's Face' is part courtroom drama, part mystery, and unfolds in the form of flashbacks through the eyes of no less than half a dozen questionable characters. Crawford plays Anna Holm, a facially scarred woman whose disfigurement has led her to an embittered life of crime.

Melvyn Douglas is perfectly cast as the handsome and heroic Dr. Segert, and Conrad Veidt plays Torsten Barring, the despicable charmer. Crawford's interpretation of a genuinely mean-spirited and heartless Anna develops into a complex character who wins our sympathy despite her evil intentions. It's a breath of fresh air to see Crawford not made up glamorously. There are no dazzling gowns or mascara-ed lashes to distract the viewer from Crawford's fabulous performance.

With a brilliant supporting cast (including the adorable Richard Nichols as the 4 year-old Lars-Erik, and Marjorie Main as the suspicious housekeeper), `A Woman's Face' ranks among the best Crawford films of all time. It is a must-see for anyone who wishes to see a well-made, fascinating tale of intrigue, love and human frailty.

The fact that Joan Crawford failed to win an Oscar nomination for her magnificent performance in this film is a travesty! Her talents as an actress were never more evident in her portrayal of a bitter woman who hates the world because of her disfigurement.

Joan Crawford has one of her first great roles in this 1941 remake of a Swedish film that starred Ingrid Bergman. And she is superb. She plays a complex woman scarred in a fire caused by her drunken father. She has grown up as an outcast of society and turns to blackmailing as a way to make a living. Through a series of events she meets a plastic surgeon (Melvyn Douglas) who operates and transforms her life. But she is ensnared with villainous Conrad Veidt who wants to kill his nephew so he can inherit the family fortune.

Part thriller part courtroom drama, A Woman's Face gives Crawford the kind of role that showed off all her talents as an actress. This film, along with Mildred Pierce, Possessed, and Humoresque, ranks as one of her best. The entire cast is top notch.

Douglas is fine as the compassionate surgeon and Veidt is terrific as the murderous uncle. Marjorie Main has one of her best roles as the jealous housekeeper. Reginald Owen, Connie Gilchrist, and Donald Meek are Crawford's band of thieves. Albert Basserman is the old counsel. Richard Nichols is the cute kid. Osa Massen is Douglas' pig of a wife. Henry Kolker is the judge and Henry Daniell a lawyer.

Great direction (George Cukor) and cinematography. Exciting sleigh race at the finale. But first and foremost this is a Joan Crawford picture. Why didn't she get Oscar nominated for this gem?

Joan Crawford has one of her more complex roles and plays it brilliantly in 'A Woman's Face'. It ranks with her work in 'Mildred Pierce' and 'Possessed'. Matching her is Conrad Veidt, always the suave villain (who also specialized in playing Nazi types). Crawford excels as a scarred woman who undergoes plastic surgery to change her life. The situations become more melodramatic as the plot gets thicker and there are a few too many flashbacks--but overall, the effect is a stunning film that makes you think about how one's appearance shapes one's life--for better or worse.

Certain sequences have a stark, no holds barred manner of storytelling, grim and suspenseful--as when Anna Holm considers pushing a child to his death from a cable car. The wintry landscapes and glittering interiors are all handsomely photographed. Melvyn Douglas doesn't register too strongly at all. It's strictly Crawford's picture with some superb help from Conrad Veidt.

The pace is rather leisurely under George Cukor's direction but quickens midway to a smashing climax. By all means, see it. A strong melodrama with some unexpected twists.