Purpose Of Mildred Piercee In Jeanine Basinger's The Genre

1. In Jeanine Basinger’s ”The Genre”, she describes 3 purposes. The third of which outlines the role of providing a temporary release from normality for the viewer. Mildred Pierce is a direct example of this purpose because it shows the choice that a female character has to make. There is a choice that Mildred makes when she decides to pursue a financially secure future, which breaks the mold from that love is a woman’s job and nothing else (Basinger, 19). Mildred challenges tradition and in this case provide a temporary release of a potentially redundant story line.
2. The film Mildred Pierce falls under the category of sacrifice. Form the very beginning of the film Mildred states that regardless of her relationship with
Mildred cannot be seen as a good mother from a strictly patriachical view because she pursues herself interest of becoming a successful businesswoman. In a male dominated profession, being a business owner involves character traits that are typically prescribed to Mildred’s male counterparts. Confidence, intelligence and charisma are three traits that are stereotyped in this genre of society and film. Mildred Pierce bridges the gap between our stereotype view of what a woman should be and what a woman really is. Jeanine Basinger in her article “The Genre” outlines this case, when Mildred makes the choice to pursue her independence rather than conforming to tradition (Basinger,
D’Alessandro suggests that many forms of theatrical imagery is representative of the film noir genre. D’Alessandro argues that it is representative of film noir by outlining the opening scene of the shooting of Monte, and how the shadows cast certain emotions towards the characters of the film (2002). This shadow affect allows the viewer to pre-suppose a certain image of the lifestyle of Mildred Pierce and her decision to pursue financial security over the raising of her two children. However film noir as D’Alessandro explains blends that idea of woman trying to express themselves as individuals and the overshadowing of murder and intrigue (D’Alessandro, 2002). This blend of two ideas draws and audience into believing the flashbacks of Mildred Pierce at the police station, but with the underlying suspicion that there is more to this woman than appears in the plot line of the movie (Mildred Pierce,