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Waste of time

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

I don't understand the wording of the title. Near the end, Bette says something about they(she and George Brent) had achieved a victory over darkness, presumably meaning despair over her certain impending death from glioblastoma cancer. Before her diagnosis, she had been a carefree, wealthy, heiress, only interested in entertaining herself and friends. After the said successful operation, she returned to her old self for awhile, until she happened upon the folder with details of her case. She was livid at the deceit of her surgeon and lover: Dr. Steele(Brent) and her best friend , Ann King(Geraldine Fitzgerald). After a period of telling sarcasm and extreme hate, she finally realized that they were trying to do her a favor. Bette had her favorite leading man and sometimes lover present in Brent, who costarred with her in eleven films. He had a disquieting way of staring at a person before acting or speaking. Bogie, as her longtime horse trainer, had a very subsidiary role, revealing, during Bette's period of despair, his suppressed love for her. My cousin died of this incurable cancer not long ago. He was lucky he experienced minimal symptoms before succumbing. Even for those who experience some of the symptoms, it's a relatively brief and painless cancer, and some remarked that they might wish to die of this disease.

THE DARK VICTORY is good romantic drama, which unfolds in a very sensitive spiritual dimension. Essentially, this is the victory of the soul over the body. Of course, this description is sketchy. Bette Davis is incredible.Judith Traherne (Bette Davis) is a young woman full of life, which is suffering from a malignant tumor. The path of incomprehension and rejection through sorrow and love to know and reconciliation is perfectly described. Bette Davis is masterfully put forward role. She had the support of the rest of the excellent team led by George Brent as Dr. Frederick Steele, Geraldine Fitzgerald as Ann King and Humphrey Bogart as Michael O'Leary.Dark Victory is literally a film about the victory, the only real and true victory, perhaps the most important elemental things of the essence - and this is the victory of man over the fear of death. Director and story are pretty sloppy for such deep topics. It is very positive that this movie at its peak celebrates life. The courage and inner strength of spirit that is nurtured by love, endless energy and youthful freshness

. . . are not enough to break GONE WITH THE WIND's 1939 Oscar lock, let alone save Bette Davis. Ronald Reagan, Henry Travers, and Humphrey Bogart play third fiddle here to Davis and George Brent (as Doc Fred). Betty's "Judy Traherne" character is a definite One Per Center. DARK VICTORY's main theme is that even the 1% die, one time each, just like we 99%. How sad. In her 23 or 24 years on this Earth, Judy drinks and smokes enough for any two centenarians. She gets her pick of brain surgeon, halfback, or Captain Queeg, and naturally pairs off with the first mentioned. For his part, after fiddling around with Judy's Gray Matter, Fred concludes, "What's not to like?" As Judy declares towards her end, she's "the lucky one." While everyone else is concerned with cooking meals, paying bills, training horses, and curing brain cancer, Judy's seven daily chores on behalf of the One Per Cent are horses, dogs, shooting, yachting, travel, parties, and gossip. Since many of these activities are not becoming for folks pushing 25, Judy's timing is perfect.

This is a great movie because it avoids sentimentality and because of the performance by Bette Davis in what has to be one of the best roles of her career. Ms. Davis completely dominates the movie and because of her the movie avoids becoming hokey or corny. Her performance is superb and she carries the movie. The story itself is strong and compelling and deals candidly with many sensitive themes. The plot is highly dramatic but avoids becoming melodramatic as Ms. Davis' character, Judith, struggles to come to terms with serious issues relating to life and death. The movie is filmed in a film-noir style that predates the emergence of that genre by several years. George Brent and Geraldine Fitzgerald are also give wonderful performances in supporting roles, and they are supportive roles because this film has one star and that star is Bette Davis.