Plot: What’s it about?
Eve White (Joanne Woodward) is a quiet housewife with a family she loves, but lately she has been experiencing some unusual events. She is suffering from horrible headaches and even blacks out, with no memory of what happened. Her husband Ralph (David Wayne) has tired of her shopping sprees and odd behavior, so he has lined an appointment with Dr. Curtis Luther (Lee J. Cobb). Once Dr. Luther starts treatment, Eve switches from a quiet housewife to a wild woman known as Eve Black. He learns that Eve Black hates Ralph and loves to party, including spending time with other men. Of course, Dr. Luther recognizes her behavior as multiple personality disorder and begins to formulate a treatment plan. Eve remains in hospital care, while her family moves on without her, though her personalities do start to work well together. But when a third personality surfaces, what will Dr. Luther be able to do and can Eve ever regain the normal life she once had?
While the impact of multiple personality disorder as drama isn’t as dynamic these days, The Three Faces of Eve still holds up well, thanks to Joanne Woodward. She took home the Best Actress award at the Oscars and it was well earned, as she is simply excellent here and really carries the movie. I’ve seen a lot of actors attempt to bring different personalities to life within a single character, but most come off as weak and transparent. But Woodward shines and brings all three of Eve’s personalities to the surface in effective, believable fashion. The story is passable, based on a famous real life case, but as I said above, the impact of this story isn’t as extreme as more recent ones. So don’t expect a true classic, as The Three Faces of Eve is very dated in terms of story depth, but Woodward’s performance ensures it remains viable. So if you have an interest in seeing a timeless performance, by all means check out The Three Faces of Eve.
Video: How’s it look?
The Three Faces of Eve is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen. The movie looks quite great here, with a clean print that shows impressive detail. There is some age related wear present, not to mention the film’s low budget roots, but overall this looks a lot better than you might expect. I found contrast to be even and on the mark, which also helps ensure detail is high and no visuals are lost in the shadows. All in all, the movie looks terrific.
Audio: How’s it sound?
A DTS HD mono soundtrack is provided and while it sounds fine, it won’t dazzle your ears. The basics are covered, aside from some wear and tear as expected, with no errors to mention. So all the dialogue is clear and easy to hear, while the music is a little thin, but still fine. This disc also includes a Spanish language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The supplements include audio comments, a Fox Movietone News reel, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
