The subject for the time was a brave, difficult and daring one to tackle and the title role is one that would pose many challenges in terms of how to act it and in the context of the subject. To me, at her best Joan Crawford was a fine actress, especially in melodrama where she was one of the best, although with hit and miss film choices throughout her career and a tendency to overact in comedy. Rossano Brazzi has not really done a lot for me in the past, tend to find him wooden.
Just like the subject, 'The Story of Esther Costello' is a brave and daring film that is appropriately hard to watch (it would have been insulting to sugarcoat or trivialise a subject like this, one that is hard hitting as they come). Am another person that doesn't agree with 'The Story of Esther Costello' being called unintentionally funny and considering the subject and what happens saying that sounds somewhat disrespectful, but maybe that's just me.
By all means 'The Story of Esther Costello' isn't perfect. It does get too heavy on the melodrama at times and has campy parts, namely in the latter stages.
Also felt that the aftermath and consequences of the traumatic event that happens later on (don't want to spoil it) were rather contrived and were not remotely realistic.
Crawford's performance is an emotional powerhouse at its best and to me she didn't overact. Brazzi was a big surprise, he never had a character that was this despicable and he manages to be both charming and genuinely creepy. Not wooden at all. The acting honours, in the most challenging role (playing deaf, or blind, or mute individually is a tough task, it is even tougher when one has to play all three simultaneously like here), is a very intensely moving Heather Sears. The direction is accomplished enough.
Furthermore, 'The Story of Esther Costello' is very handsomely mounted visually and Georges Auric's unsettling score has so much atmosphere. The script is sincere and didn't seem too overwrought or talk-heavy on the most part. The story pulls no punches and it really hit me hard, both in giving me the chills and in tugging at my heart-strings.
On the whole, found a lot to admire even if it didn't completely succeed. 7/10
Just like the subject, 'The Story of Esther Costello' is a brave and daring film that is appropriately hard to watch (it would have been insulting to sugarcoat or trivialise a subject like this, one that is hard hitting as they come). Am another person that doesn't agree with 'The Story of Esther Costello' being called unintentionally funny and considering the subject and what happens saying that sounds somewhat disrespectful, but maybe that's just me.
By all means 'The Story of Esther Costello' isn't perfect. It does get too heavy on the melodrama at times and has campy parts, namely in the latter stages.
Also felt that the aftermath and consequences of the traumatic event that happens later on (don't want to spoil it) were rather contrived and were not remotely realistic.
Crawford's performance is an emotional powerhouse at its best and to me she didn't overact. Brazzi was a big surprise, he never had a character that was this despicable and he manages to be both charming and genuinely creepy. Not wooden at all. The acting honours, in the most challenging role (playing deaf, or blind, or mute individually is a tough task, it is even tougher when one has to play all three simultaneously like here), is a very intensely moving Heather Sears. The direction is accomplished enough.
Furthermore, 'The Story of Esther Costello' is very handsomely mounted visually and Georges Auric's unsettling score has so much atmosphere. The script is sincere and didn't seem too overwrought or talk-heavy on the most part. The story pulls no punches and it really hit me hard, both in giving me the chills and in tugging at my heart-strings.
On the whole, found a lot to admire even if it didn't completely succeed. 7/10