The Snake Pit

Besides the overused Freudian bullshit in the resolution this is a wonderful film with an excellent performance from de Havilland.

Viewed December 30, 2019. Olivia de Havilland is terrific, and the movie around her often pales in comparison, especially the overly literal script. Some smart, dark directing decisions from Anatole Litvak emphasize the claustrophobia and uncertainty.

Builds up interesting story line of insane woman, but losts the point towards the end and after nearly 2 hours lenght do not satisfy all raisen expectations. Strong acting by Olivia de Havilland.

Starts out well and promises much but fails to deliver. Good acting in the well written lead character but the conventional arc of drama seems to be completely amiss.

Many old movies haven't aged well, but this one isn't even technically well-made. The old saw "they don't make 'em like that anymore" can be good news

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lol @ the outdated Freudian concept, but still a damn good flick. Olivia de Havilland is awesome here

de Havilland gets all the stars here, as she propels the movie throughout, even when it starts getting into a little psycho-babble. While the film had an impact in modernizing state-run hospitals, the too-Hollywood ending didn't emphasize the problem enough; I would have liked the ending as that shot of coming out of the snake pit (which is odd, because I usually like more concrete endings, as this one does have).

Olivia de Havilland rules!

Em honra dos 103 anos completados hoje de Olivia de Havilland filme #2. É um filme muito bom, especialmente por Havilland, mas normaliza demais as técnicas cruéis da psiquiatria da primeira metade do século, como eletrochoques e banhos de imersão, tava com medo que mostrassem um tipo de psicanálise cafona e rasa que sempre apareciam nos filmes de Hollywood nos anos 40, mas até que não deixaram muito cafona - com exceção de um quadro do Freud na parede, em vez disso dá uma amenizada e

Olivia de Havilland is absolutely fantastic, but the movie, and especially the script, is far behind.

Very good.

Despite the theme of insanity being treated way too simplistically, everything works in this film.

Pretty good performances & the plot did make me care about the mystery of Virginia's illness (and the other patients), but the ending fell flat for me.

Not unlike modern day "message movies" like, say, Milk, this film carries the viewer on unobtrusive and assured directing, a graceful handling of difficult issues and some damn fine acting. Yet these are often the kind of movies that are done in by the twin demons of reverence and good taste, and so it is with The Snake Pit. It's still commendable for getting the ball rolling in an intersting direction, though.

If we could get rid of the "Freud's a genius" thing, the tendency to explain complex problems, and a bit of expected-for-its-time overacting from de Havilland, we'd really have something. Litvak brings a few excellent shots to the proceedings--none better than the crowd singing during the dance--and the film has its share of shocking-for-its-day images of women struggling with sanity that serve well to disorient and disturb the viewer.

After the hardship of war Hollywood had started exploring the brain and not just the soul. So here comes a Olivia de Havilland from the mental hospital. And from then on we explore her troubles gradually. Probable a bit simple and naive portrayal of life in a mental institution, even for a non-professionals of the psyche, but for blending mental illness in a accessible Hollywood way, The Snake Pit (1948) does a terrific job. Doesn't become uncomfortable and you root for the poor girl.

A serious drama about mental illness from the 40s? Hilariously dated and ignorant you say? Who'd have thunk it.