William Wylerâs adaptation of Theodore Dreiserâs Sister Carrie is marred by the constrictions imposed by the production code, and the material is never given the fully-realized treatment it deserves. Thereâs also a persistent feeling that many of the major players involved werenât giving the film their full attention. Weâve seen Wyler adapt material far better than this, and Carrie had tremendous potential to reach for greatness.
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Despite being the title character, Jennifer Jonesâ Carrie doesnât experience the full-range of emotional changes and textures that Laurence Olivierâs George Hurstwood does. Carrie floats throughout the film as a good girl struggling to make good, finding herself in compromising situations, and eventually gaining success as an actress. George leaves his wife and children for Carrie, and if that pound of flesh wasnât a big enough price, and then loses everything else before ending up as a beggar on the street. Heâs the true tragedy of the film.
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It doesnât help that Olivier and Jones never generate enough chemistry with each other to make the central romance and premise believable. Olivier is very good here, but thereâs a dogged feeling that heâs acting at every possible moment. He never disappears into the role completely, and that Brechtian choice makes some of the tragedy feel cold and at an armâs-length. While heâs on a technical-level giving a greater performance than Jones, she simply âisâ on the screen throughout. We believe she is this naĂŻve girl trying to capture her American Dream at every turn, even if the film never quite gets below the surface of the characters.
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Too much of Carrie feels like a weepie of doomed romance, and it has a strong sense of Madame Bovaryâs misfire about it. Thereâs a core missing here, and itâs papered over with pretty images and some solid work from its actors (Miriam Hopkins and Eddie Albert are both terrific in limited parts). Itâs a perfectly fine tearjerker, but there was the prospective for so much more. Â Â Â