Leave Her To Heaven Review(1945)

Leave Her to Heaven is a sad and depressing film about the futility of love and obsession, told from the perspective of the person who has love and obsession.

The film follows Richard Harland who meets Ellen Berent, played by an absolutely magnetic gene Tierney, and their subsequent marriage and obsession by Ellen which destroys not only their but their family’s life.

Ellen from the start is shown to be disturbingly obsessive, when she first meets Richard in a train. She obsessively stares at him which makes even us uncomfortable. Or when she is talking about persuasively driving away Richard’s disabled brother Danny and in the process insults him and then in the same scene she acts as if she is happy that Danny is coming.

The writing doesnt thrust us the evilness of Ellen. Instead as the story gradually moves forward, layers of Ellen's character is peeled as we see her contempt for anyone who comes between her and her husband. Ellen's actions are also extremely horrid and makes us fear not only her but also her psychological state.

The characterisation of Ellen is wholly as a self-serving possessive person and Gene Tierney helps us to see the truth of what she feels each time whenever something that she dislikes happens, such as her family surprisingly intruding on her and Richard or when she “between the lines” tries to exert control on a situation she feels is going out of her control.

The brilliantly edited lake scene, which might almost be a mass movie moment if made here akin to the lake scene in Moondru mudichu, except here John M Stahl, the director goes for tension and suspense rather than something loud.

The film maintains a consistent dread in always making us fear the evilness of Ellen and when the climax hits you, you actually feel really happy for the thing have turned well for the male lead, Richard.