Rent Frances (1982)

Fallen Idol - Frances review by Steve

Harrowing melodrama loosely based on the turbulent life of 1930s Hollywood starlet, Frances Farmer. This is most memorable for Jessica Lange's colossal portrayal of her epic story arc from small town nonconformist- to Paramount screen beauty- to victim of barbaric psychiatric institutions.

This isn't an objective account; it strips the true life of its politics, particularly how much of the ill treatment was due to her communism. And it certainly blanks out the fascist ideology behind the use of lobotomies. This concentrates more on Frances' toxic relationship with her ultra-conservative mother.

And she's straight out of American Gothic. Kim Stanley's scenes with the star have massive dramatic impact, but drift off into the mythic. Still, they demonstrate how much indoctrination and grotesque cruelty it takes to turn a freethinker into a normal US conformist.

And they expose the harrowing revenge taken on those who don't submit. There's some interest in the early scenes set in the old Hollywood- presumably sanitised. But there are few famous names aside from Clifford Odets (Jeffrey DeMunn). The reason to watch is Lange's monumental star performance.

Superb Biopic about a Doomed Hollywood Actress of the 1930s - Frances review by PV

This is a superb biopic, with some truth in it - some events are absolutely true as is the dialogue of TV appearances shown here. However, some claims were from a biography written by a friend after Farmer's death so may not be true (the abuse at psychiatric hospital). She did star in films with Bing Crosby and Cary Grant; she did visit the USSR in 1935; as a senior at highschool she did win a prize for writing an essay called GOD DIES. And she did at a low point end up working in the laundry of the hotel where her biggest high COME AND GET IT had its premier. In later life she had a TV show and found some peace, gave up drinking etc.

Anyway, I watched this film on TV decades ago, and always remember the night-time psychiatric 'ward' (dungeon) scene with US serviceman paying orderlies to 'enjoy' the fallen Hollywood star.

Farmer's life was absolutely fascinating and very disturbed, with alcohol and drugs making an unstable person even less stable until, inevitably, the police and law bundle in to destroy her reputation and life. They do seem rather to enjoy doing that.

Having read up on Farmer's life I now know which bits of this biopic are true and which are not.

But the actress in the main role is superb and the spitting image of the doomed actress.

This is one of the best biopics I have ever seen anyway (up there with Chaplin).

4 stars.