Michael Curtiz combines traditional drama with elements of film noir in one of his masterpieces, Mildred Pierce. Joan Crawford plays the lead character, a female take on the more traditionally male film hero. After opening the film with the murder, then retracing the characters' steps through Mildred's flashback, Curtiz builds suspense and dramatic tension, as the viewer struggles to put together all the pieces of the convoluted mystery.
Curtiz uses both dramatic effects and compositional elements to build tension and tell the story. The dramatic and intense performances by the actors, in concert with the expertly shot and designed scenes, creates a mysterious world that keeps the audience on their toes every step of the way. Curtiz was known for his very stringent expectations and his consequently tempestuous relationships with actors, but this often meant that he teased out especially stunning performances. The acting in Mildred Pierce is at once subtle and electrifying, particularly Joan Crawford's performance. Her changeable face reveals all of the torture and pathos of a proud mother who goes too far, and the viewer simultaneously sympathizes with and reviles her Mildred.
Imagery and composition are also central to Curtiz's deft touch as a director. At one point, we see Mildred in a close up with a train superimposed over the image of her face. This evocative image symbolizes her inner struggle and turmoil as she navigates her troubled relationship with Veda. Additionally, Curtiz uses light and shadow to heighten the tension and lend a classically film noir tone to the crime story. In the first scene at the beach house in which Monte is killed, the shot is brightly lit, but there are also many shadows, representing the ways that certain details of the plot are clear, while others are obscured. Additionally, in Inspector Peterson's office, the light is dim, but faces can be seen clearly; the effect of chiaroscuro heightens the mysterious circumstances and keeps the viewer suspended in a state of not-knowing.
