It feels strange to review this movie because I feel like it's inevitable that you've seen it. The Bad Seed. I loved this movie when I was a kid. But, now that I think about it, I really don't even know if it's a kids' movie or not. But, I never liked anything deemed to be normal in terms of movies of television shows for kids. I mean, my 10 year old cousin watches everything on the Nickelodeon channel or whatever it's called and I KNOW that I NEVER would have watched any of those kid shows. I'm not even nostalgic for Full House. That's how snobby I am.
The Bad Seed is arguably my favorite movie in the world. It was made in 1956. (I think there's a remake out there that you could not pay me to see.) I think it was originally a play because that's how the movie is set up. There's basically one set--an apartment living room. And, at the end, the cast comes and takes a bow. So, onto the story. It is great in that it's really evil and creepy. Rhoda is the little girl. She's angelic--blonde, braided hair and a perfect dress. She goes to a class picnic where a little boy drowns. How can I put this? He wins a medal. Rhoda wanted that medal. Rhoda--the little sociopath--gets what she wants at whatever cost. Get it?
Rhoda's mother and the nice neighbor lady adore Rhoda. She's perfect. She rubs her mother's neck, saying "Oh mother. I have the most beautiful mother. I tell all of my friends at school that." Well, as time goes on, the mother grows suspicious of Rhoda. She wonders how Rhoda got her hands on that dead boy's medal. So does LeRoy, the maintenance man in the apartment complex. He tells Rhoda that he saw her throw her bloody shoes (from pummeling the boy from the picnic and then pushing him into the lake to die) down the incinerator. Remember that it's the 1950s and there was one incinerator for garbage for the entire apartment complex. LeRoy is totally creepy himself and he reminds me of a guy who served time for a nonviolent crime and needs a job while he's out on parole. LeRoy's always sort of baiting Rhoda to confess about the shoes and Rhoda never quite gives in. But, she does need to protect herself and her crimes. Yep, you guessed it. She takes care of LeRoy--showing him how powerful that incinerator really is.
The best character is the little dead boy's mother. She comes over to visit Rhoda's mother. She's on to Rhoda and she's pretty vocal about suspecting her of killing her son because Rhoda was the last person seen with him. This lady is drunkety drunk drunk in most every scene and she plays it perfect. Just unappealing enough to make you uncomfortable, but not so belligerent to let you forget that she's a grieving mother.
Rhoda is a bad, bad, bad girl. She's evil to the core and does her best to behave like an angel to the people who matter--like her mother and the neighbor. I won't tell you what happens to little Rhoda at the end. I'll just say that her mother attempts to right wrongs. But, come on, Rhoda is the devil's spawn. She's too powerful to be conquered. And, anyway, sinners are way more fun, right?
