What a great closing scene, Morris (Montgomery Clift) pounding on Catherine's (Olivia de Havilland) door as the credits start to roll. Is he just the craven gold digger her father thinks he is, or does he really love her? Catherine isn't exactly loaded with social graces, nor do people find her very attractive or
personable. Her father (Ralph Richardson) humors her to a degree, but he knows a lost cause when he sees one. That's why she's so surprised when Morris shows such a keen interest in her. Morris is outgoing, attractive, intelligent and warm. Aunt Lavinia (Miriam Hopkins), ever the romantic, pleads Morris' case to the father, but it's to no avail. De Havilland's transformation is so gradual and yet so drastic that by the end, the Catherine from the opening of the movie is scarcely recognizeable. The Heiress inherits a great deal more than money from those who surround her. As she says "Yes, I can be very cruel. I have been taught by masters". The Heiress deals with the confrontation of one's own reality, and what effect that has on the psyche. Could Catherine be happy deceiving herself, trying to forget Morris only wants her for her money? The father wants Catherine to free her life of allusions, but is it always best to protect those you love from being hurt? In the end, everyone's lives are made up of a little bit of fantasy and a little bit of reality. We're all stars of our own stories, and sometimes it's better to live a lie, especially when the truth hurts.
August 11, 2010
