Review – The Snake Pit

This picture has one of the most non-linear plots I’ve ever seen in a Hollywood production. The effect is disorienting, which of course is perfect for the story of a woman (Olivia de Havilland) stuck in an insane asylum. She actually is mentally ill, so the story told largely from her perspective is a bewildering, nonsensical alternation between breakthroughs and setbacks. Even the ending can be described as semi-happy at best. This is one of the few good movies that cry out for a remake resetting the drama in contemporary context. Worth seeing