The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) comes out of the noir genre. A girl, Martha, trying to run away with a boy from the other side of the tracks, accidentally kills her domineering aunt in front of her tutor’s son, and then lies. 17 years later, the boy returns with a checkered past, and the girl now runs the aunt’s business empire – and the tutor’s son is married to her and is the District Attorney. Assuming he’s back to indulge in some blackmail, the married couple makes the boy’s life tough, not only physically, but emotionally.
Much like The Grapes of Wrath (1940), this is a movie about circumstance, choices, and how they affect the balance of a lifetime. But in this case, some might argue that Martha had little choice; her aunt was stern and strict, and may have had delusions of grandeur, as she reiterates her intention to make her orphaned niece into an “Ivers”. It’s a question mark, though, for all that the aunt’s portrayal appears to be evil, and is shown beating a kitten to death, it’s still arguable: perhaps the proper upbringing was all she had on her mind. Some people do fear, and sometimes hate, cats.
But the aunt dies, and now the decision of telling the truth or lying comes to the fore. But she’s a child, and she makes the child’s choice: lie.
But, as we learn, that one decision queers her life’s arc enormously: her marriage is a sham, her husband, for all of his apparent success, is a drunk, she fears her life is the prison she lied to avoid, and when the boy who was going to help her escape returns, she quietly snaps. We don’t even hear it, yet it resounds throughout the movie.
None of the characters are saints. The boy who returned? A gambler who slips trouble like a dancer. His mysterious girl? Another victim of a dysfunctional family, with a police record. Perhaps he’s with her out of pity, or out of his own desperation – he doesn’t know himself. But when illicit financial opportunity is dangled in front of him, he’s willing to grasp it – even if a nettle comes with it.
But what a nettle.
If not languid, this is certainly a leisurely tale, letting you soak in the glow of the stars, and some excellent cinematography. The twists and turns of the story kept us on our toes (good thing my head cold is finally fading), and the acting was quite good. If you enjoy noir, this is certainly not to be missed.
