The Wikipedia entry for 1950's Born to Be Bad describes Joan Fontaine's character as "a manipulative young woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants." But the interesting thing about this Nicholas Ray noir is that she isn't actually all that vicious and it's unclear if she deserves the moral retribution dished out to her by the film's universe.
We meet her as an apparently shy young woman called Christabel who's come to stay in the San Francisco home of Donna (Joan Leslie), who works for Christabel's uncle. Donna's engaged to the fabulously wealthy Curtis Carey (Zachary Scott) and when the two go out for the evening Christabel is shocked to find Robert Ryan has let himself into the kitchen.
Ryan plays Nick Bradley, a smug, swaggering young author who effortlessly disarms Christabel. She hates him but she's drawn to him for the same reason, you know the drill. But it's Robert Ryan and Joan Fontaine so it's legitimately sexy.
Now, I would say Christabel is a manipulative woman but I wouldn't say the course of events that unfold are the effects of her complex Machiavellian scheme. Christabel goes shopping with Curtis to help him pick out a birthday gift for Donna. She comments on how marvellous a particular necklace is but changes her focus when she sees the price tag. The salesman is peculiarly aggressive with it, following Curtis and Christabel about the store with the necklace until Curtis is finally persuaded to buy it. Christabel remarks that perhaps Donna wouldn't want something so extravagant. When Donna receives the necklace happily, the issue of whether she's marrying Curtis for his money is introduced and becomes a subtle wedge between them.
All of Christabel's manipulations are like that. She gives a little push here and there but it seems other issues independent of anything she does end up persuading Curtis to marry her instead of Donna.
When they do marry, Curtis complains that Christabel has arranged to make herself a board member of so many charities entirely for the purpose of spending little time with him. It's possible the implication here is that she's doing something bad but she actually does seem to be devoting her time to these charities. If she were a soulless, "bitchy" (as multiple reviews inexplicably describe her), gold digger, wouldn't she be spending all her time just partying and shopping? What finally proves to be her downfall is that she can't resist having a rendezvous with Nick instead of visiting her sick aunt. Is Christabel selfish and unfaithful? Sure. But "stop at nothing?" What unfolds from there is arguably more tragic than just. Much like Cat People or Leave Her to Heaven, this is one of those in which the ostensible villainess is the most sympathetic person in the movie.
Born to Be Bad is available on The Criterion Channel.
X Sonnet #1840
A wild shade dispenses spirit hands.
As proud as apples, people rise above.
Convene the force of regal hunting bands.
Remember now that arrows signal love.
A stack of random junk ensures the sky.
No people came without a bridge of earth.
The god was rocks or days when finches cry.
The growing crop was twice a human's worth.
Performance cleans the apple cart of care.
As cleaning deems the students real, commence.
Remember times when hearts would take a stair.
No bin returns the dust you might dispense.
A dreamy stroll has pierced the workaday,
Confusing crowds from Guam to Paraguay.
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