All About Eve Film Analysis

In the film All About Eve, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz in 1950, Eve Harrison (Anne Baxter) was a young woman with evil running through her veins. She wanted to be "somebody" and chose to get there through Margo Channing (Betty Davis), who was a famous stage star. Eve would do whatever it took to get where she wanted to be, including hurting the ones that trusted her and took her in as a "lost lamb". Though Eve was already evil within and throughout, the naive people around her made it even easier to accomplish her goals. However, Birdie (Thelma Ritter), Margo’s assistant and confidant was the first to point out Eve’s conniving ways, which was confirmed with Eve’s sly grin. Furthermore, Eve officially reveals her evil ways when she bribes Karen to get a part in a Broadway play, and Addison reveals Eve’s lies and real identity by end of the movie.

A particular conversation between Margo and Birdie is very crucial in sense that it gets the audience thinking of Eve more suspiciously and not so much of a perfect angel.

“Birdie, you don’t like Eve do you?” Margo asked.

“No…”

“She thinks only of me…doesn’t she?” Margo questions

Birdie replies, “Well lets just say she thinks about you..”

“How do you mean that?” Margo asked eagerly.

With sternness in Birdies voice she says, “I’ll tell ya how…like she’s studying ya. Like as if ya was a play or a st of blue prints. How ya walk, talk, eat, think, sleep…”

As Eve enters the scene the mood shifts. In particular, Margo confronts Eve and mentions how she made a phone call from her to her boyfriend Bill. Eve responds by being very apologetic for not mentioning it the night before and said she was doing a favor for her. The audience almost believes Eve until she gloats and says, “As a matter of fact, I sent the telegram myself.” This particular shot is a medium close up of Eve. The lighting creates shadows over her face to create a subtle evil look. In particular, there are distinct shadows going directly across...