Leave Her to Heaven

Based on the titular 1944 novel by Ben Ames Williams, this 1945 twisted romance tale directed by John M. Stahl stars Gene Tierney as Ellen Berent, a woman with serious daddy issues. Told in flashback, the story charts the relationship between Ellen and Richard Harland (Cornel Wilde), an author who looks like Ellen’s late father. According to Ellen’s mother, Ellen 'loves too much,' an observation that becomes acutely clear after Ellen and Richard marry, and Ellen takes increasing umbrage over family intrusions into her fantasy housewife marriage—including Richard’s attachment to his polio-stricken younger brother Danny (Darryl Hickman). In the film’s most chilling scene, Ellen encourages Danny to swim a great distance on the lake at Richard’s lodge retreat while she follows in a rowboat. As Danny begins to flail, Ellen calmly dons sunglasses. Although it has a noir-ish feel—the viewer almost instinctively feels that Ellen is either evil or crazy (or both)—much of Leave Her to Heaven is filmed in the great outdoors, taking place in the New Mexico flatlands and the Maine wilderness. Co-starring Chill Wills, Vincent Price, and Jeanne Crain as Ellen’s orphan adopted 'sister' who plays an increasingly important role in the narrative, this is a minor classic of psychological intrigue with a mesmerizing performance by Tierney, whose eyes blaze a range of emotions, from erotic hunger to an earnest desire to please, to a cold calculating stare that seems utterly devoid of humanity. Presented with a lush color 2K digital transfer, extras include an interview with film critic Imogen Sara Smith and a booklet with an essay by novelist Megan Abbott. Recommended. (R. Pitman)