A Woman’s Face (1941)

Told through the testimony of witnesses at a murder trial, this film is about woman disfigured as a child whose bitterness turns her to a life as a blackmailer. After reconstruction surgery, she turns away from crime and finds love. I’m not a big fan of Joan Crawford, but she looks her softest here over all and does a fine job portraying both sides of the woman’s character. The story is somewhat meh as it seems to suggest that looks guide a person’s character. I hadn’t realized it was a remake of a Swedish film, which explains why it was otherwise inexplicably set in Sweden. Some of the scenery was very beautiful, particularly when showing gondolas flying over mountain rivers.

Sidenote: Included on the DVD for this movie was an adorable cartoon short called Little Cesario, about a small St. Bernard who aspires to be like his hero who has saved hundreds of lives. I really enjoy the extras on older DVDs so I can see shorts like this.