Probably my favorite old school actress is Bette Davis, (possibly the Angelina of her day), and my favorite all time performance is in the award-winning film, Now Voyager. Its the story of an ugly-duckling ruled by an over-bearing mother, finally breaking free and asserting herself as a woman. This image is when she steps onto a ship, free of her mother, making her own decisions, completely unsure of herself, conveyed brilliantly by, of course, her eyes. This uncertainty reminds me of bambi trying to walk on ice, a toddler looking up at me and wanting onto a slide, a young girl trying on her mother's red high-heeled shoes. Or any young girl taking those first steps from girlhood to womanhood: from a pony tail to wearing hair down, wearing a fitted dress (is that really me?), shaving your legs for the first time and wondering if people will notice, dabbling with make-up hoping it looks ok, trying not to fall in high heels, or even wearing red lipstick, both craving and fearing the approval of people. This film captures it all. Its about the budding insecurity of womanhood, but all those did-I-do-it-right steps are encouraged by the attentions of a man. Its about insecurity, but recognizing that same insecurity in others, perhaps that of smaller girls, and giving them the confidence to step forth, albeit a little shly, into their own.
Here's to Bette Davis and those eyes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eja-popojUo
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