The 1940s were a decade of huge social upheaval in the United States. Against the backdrop of WWII, the final echoes of the Great Depression were cast off and the economy boomed at a spectacular rate. However, this newfound prosperity brought with it a greater class divide and a sense of either being part of the elite or not. This hideous distortion of the American Dream served to created a desperately disenfranchised segment of society.

No film illustrates this divide better than Mildred Pierce. Directed in 1945 by Michael Curtiz, it stars Joan Crawford, who received the Academy Award for Best Actress for the title role. It is the story of a young woman rising to prominence in the restaurant business in order to create a better life for her children. While the film opens in the present day, with a startling shooting in a boathouse, the story proper unfolds though lengthy flashbacks.

Mildred Pierce is unmistakably a film noir. The black and white photography, the extensive flashbacks, the Dutch Tilted shots, the bleak subject matter, the isolated and misunderstood protagonist – all are indicative of its genre. However, it differs from other film noirs, such as The Big Sleep, in several important ways. The first, and most obvious difference, is that the main character is a woman. Secondly, the femme fatale is a family member, as opposed to a love interest. This adds far more depth to the film and plays strongly into the spirit of the 1940s; that sense that family bonds and hard work cannot stop the draft letters coming in anymore than they can stop the relentless growth of consumerism and desire for extravagance which is steadily dividing society. Bleak and downcast, yet moving and inspiring, Mildred Pierce is a film noir masterpiece.