Mildred Pierce Assignment - Essay Example

The first purpose, which relates to placing a woman at the center of the story universe, best describes the messages in Mildred Pierce movie. Indeed, this purpose is very dominant in the film as the film revolves around the life of a long-suffering mother and her ungrateful daughter. In fact, the film focuses on domestic life in the context of women, motherhood, and the female opinion. In fact, Mildred Pierce is a homemaker who sacrifices everything and tries all income generating projects to support her ungrateful daughter (Mildred Pierce 1945).

The movie even presents female rivalries between the younger woman and the older woman. We can also see Mildred getting married to a newly unemployed Pierce who later leaves her with no income (Mildred Pierce 1945). Moreover, we can see Mildred surrounded by weak men and supportive women that confirms the purpose of placing a woman at the center of the story universe. In fact, the questioning of Mildred by police after they discover the body of her second husband, Monte Berago forms the basis of the film (Mildred Pierce 1945).

These aspects confirm the purpose of placing a woman at the center of the story universe in the Mildred Pierce film.. Such an association depicts bad motherhood. On the other hand, Mildred could only become a waitress, a fact which she hides from her daughter Veda (Mildred Pierce 1945). Such lies do not represent good motherhood and consequently we can identify with Veda’s infuriation on learning the truth about her mother’s job. Additionally, Mildred acts unethically by entering into a loveless marriage with Monte Beragon for purposes of improving her social class to please her daughter (Mildred Pierce 1945).

Ultimately, we can see Mildred supporting Beragon who is a playboy that consequently led to her financial dismal performance. As a good mother, Mildred would have focused on providing for her children but not seeking to improve her social class. Ideally, we only see Mildred focusing on providing for Veda to the neglect of the 10-year-old Kay (Mildred Pierce 1945). Response 3 Kathryn D’Alessandro describes how many of the visual images (cinematography, lighting) in Mildred Pierce are reminiscent of film noir.

Mildred Pierce is a film noir that represents the sacrifices of a mother to provide for her ungrateful daughter. Indeed, the film has a cinematography that enhances darkness in the plot and theme. In fact, the film has inky blackness and images with long and sharp shadows (Mildred Pierce 1945). The long and sharp shadows show that the filming took place indoors or in places with low-key lighting. All these aspects explain how the visual images in Mildred Pierce are reminiscent of film noir. Response 4 Sybil DelGaudio defines the racial stereotype of the "Mammy" role in the "Mammy in Hollywood" article (DelGaudio, 2005).

The character of Thelma McQueen who was Mildred’s