Beyond The Forest
PG

Sun 04 Jan · 14:00

Why watch?

“This is a riotously camp example of a noir-tinged melodrama from 1940s Hollywood. It’s a must-see for Davis’s deliciously depraved performance as Rosa Moline, a woman gripped by an intense desire to break free from the claustrophobia of her small town life, and whose sexuality and passion cannot be contained. It can be equally enjoyed as a trashy romp and as a subversive feminist work, critiquing the stifling conventions of femininity.”

Alice Miller,

Bette Davis is at her most gloriously unrestrained, playing a woman undone by her own desire in this lurid, intoxicating melodrama.

Noir • Dark • Gripping

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Part of reRUN

Part of Too Much: Melodrama on Film

As Rosa Moline, a small-town doctor’s wife suffocating in boredom, Davis seethes with rage and yearning, clawing her way toward the big-city allure of Chicago and the life she feels she deserves. King Vidor directs with operatic excess, unleashing a feverish mix of lust and hysteria. Dismissed on release but now hailed as a camp classic, Beyond the Forest is a decadent delight, and features Davis’s immortal line: “What a dump!”

Showing as part of our season Too Much: Melodrama on Film - supported by the BFI and Film Hub North.

Details

Duration

1hr 16mins

Director

King Vidor

Distributor

Park Circus

Featuring

Bette Davis • Joseph Cotton • David Brian

Year

1950

Country of origin

USA

Language

English

Strobe lighting

Content guidance

Content guidance unavailable

Part of reRUN

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