I don’t exactly understand the appeal of disease-of-the-week movies; the people behind them will tell you that they’re meant to inform, but I’ve rarely seen a disease movie that didn’t leave me even more baffled about the disease depicted. The Three Faces of Eve is an early disease-of-the-week movie, made before these became run-of-the-mill and is also one of (if not THE) first movie to ever tackle the subject of multiple personalities in depth. Considering the many milestones the film has set, it’s understandable that the movie will feel a little bare… but clumsy filmmaking is clumsy filmmaking, and being first doesn’t necessarily erase the movie’s problems.

Eve White (Joanne Woodward) is a quiet housewife who’s more or less happy living her peaceful life with her husband Ralph (David Wayne) and daughter Bonnie. Ralph comes home one day to find that Eve has bought tons of garish, expensive clothes and is acting strangely. Ralph takes her to see Doctor Luther (Lee J. Cobb) who diagnoses a case of split personality in Eve. Eve White now co-habits with Eve Black in the body… and soon enough a third personality, Jane, comes in and acts as a mid-point between the calm White and the rambunctious Black.

The movie opens with Alistair Cooke telling the viewer that the screenplay was written from the notes of the actual Doctor Luther; I find this terribly hard to believe in spots. Although it’s true that the film is often right on the dot in its portrayal, there are also twists to the story (especially the final one that reveals why Eve Black came to be) that are ridiculous and illogical. I don’t want to reveal what the twist is, but let’s just say that if the doctor really thought this was what had set it off, they should be giving out medical degrees on street corners. The film doesn’t seem to try hard enough; it’s as if the filmmakers just decide to coast on what they had and let it run on autopilot. The result is a bland, if not exactly bad film.

Joanne Woodward broke out with this role, winning a deserved Oscar in the process. Although her performance is anything but subtle (especially as Eve Black) it never quites lapses into hammy melodrama, either. She’s able to create a believable balance between the personalities so that none of them seems too far from the previous. There’s one thing that bothered me; when Eve was asked to “switch” between the personalities, she sort of goes to sleep or something and then snaps up again. Perhaps the filmmakers thought that it wasn’t obvious enough that she was switching, because I don’t believe for a second that really was what happened. It’s not necessarily Woodward’s fault, either, because a lesser actress would probably have needed that. I think this is one of the rare times where an actress not pulling off something is a testament to her talent.

The most fascinating films of this type are the ones who are character studies first and foremost. That way, you’re able to actually feel for the character and what they’re going through. No such luck here; the film is played out like a documentary and never really gets inside Eve’s head. It never really does anything with the secondary characters, either; the daughter is barely used and serves only to make some background noise, the husband is a dumb lout who doesn’t seem to know (or care) what’s going on and the various conquests of Eve Black aren’t even given a name save for one. The Three Faces of Eve manages to be a character study without the study.

I’ve been very negative about the film and yet I’d still recommend it. For all its flaws (and there are many) the film remains a moderately interesting film that has dated badly but can still be enjoyed. Oddly enough, it’s quite the beautifully photographed film, making full use of the CinemaScope technique, and the always-reliable Lee J. Cobb shines as the doctor. The chief reason why someone would want to see this is for Woodward’s performance, which is nothing short of amazing. Otherwise, though, there are better films about multiple personalities. I suppose this one works well enough if you’re too lazy to do research or something.



Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day