Sometimes you watch a movie and it feels
timeless, like no matter when it was made the theme, acting, writing,
all hold up as though it could be released this Friday
and contend. Then there are movies that feel like they are so much
about the zeitgeist of the day that they don't really make sense unless
you allow yourself to do a sort of mental time shift and try to watch
the film as an audience member from the past. The Bad Seed is a good
example of the latter.
It's not a bad film. It's quite engaging and it does draw
you in. But it is so steeped in mid-twentieth century pop psychiatry
(most of which is laughably outdated) that it's hard to take seriously
from a modern perspective. There's a nature vs. nurture debate that runs
throughout the film that lacks the enlightenment we have as a result of
the Human Genome Project for instance. So while the characters concern
themselves with nature or nurture as though they are two mutually
exclusive camps, they are unaware that most every human characteristic
has a genetic component as well as a cultural one. But I'm getting ahead
of myself.
Rhoda is a sweet, little girl. How could she not be?
She's white, she has blond hair (in pig tails no less), blue eyes,
she's polite, and keeps tidy. Unfortunately, she's also inherently evil.
When she loses a penmanship award to a fellow classmate, she becomes so
overwrought with anger and jealousy that she kills the little boy and
takes his medal. Rhoda's mother starts to suspect that she may have been
involved with the boy's death but the very thought of it starts to push
her towards madness. How can she face the truth while protecting her
daughter?
On some level this film is exceedingly shallow. The
whole premise is built around the idea that what makes the thought of
Rhoda being a killer so horrible is how cute and sweet she is on the
outside. As though if she were boorish and ugly with a unibrow and warts
it would be perfectly reasonable to think an eight year old might
bludgeon their classmate to death. But because she is nice, and pretty,
with a toothy smile we ought to be horrified that she is without
conscience. Remember, psychopathy is a mental disease of the hideously
unattractive.
You often hear that one of the first rules of
directing is don't work with children. But Patty McCormack does a
terrific job here and just goes to show that it is possible for a child
to develop a complex character. I also liked Henry Jones as the slow
witted janitor who suspects Rhoda early on. Their interplay specifically
is very good.
The Bad Seed is not particularly scary or horrific,
but it is a good watch. I would highly recommend it for anyone who has a
hard time with the graphic nature of modern horror films. There's no
blood or guts here. In fact, I'd have to say the scariest thing about
this whole movie was how much watching Rhoda reminded me of my own
little girl!
I give it 3.5 out of 5.
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