I'd seen The Razor's Edge with Tyrone Power, and I'd read a couple of Maugham's short stories (I forget which ones, it's been so long), but I'd never taken the time to see read the story or see this film until now.<br /><br />What interested me most was the presence of Joan Crawford, an actress for whom I've never had much regard. Now, that might sound strange, but I wanted to see her in a film that predated the 1950s and 1960s movies that I knew; in those, she looked old and worn, as you might expect after so long in movies.<br /><br />I wanted to see her when she was young and didn't look like a man in drag, as I perceived her in later movies (maybe it all those padded shoulders of her dresses and coats, emphasizing her mannish looks?).<br /><br />Anyway, I'm glad I did see her in this because she proved that she was indeed an excellent actress. And, although the video I got was a poor copy, Crawford literally shone, an illuminating contrast to the dark nights, the unending sight and sound of the rain and the dour and dominating aspect of Walter Houston as the self-righteous and chauvinistic preacher Davidson who tries to reform the prostitute Sadie Thompson (Crawford). It's worth seeing this movie just to see Crawford in a stunning performance, and close to her best, I think.<br /><br />Such a story, of course, has its roots in numerous biblical accounts of fallen women and men who try to redeem them, although I'm not suggesting that Maugham simply plagiarized the bible. It just happens to be a story that's timeless, and is no doubt part of the human condition everyday, somewhere in the world.<br /><br />However, the intriguing aspect for me is this: just when did Sadie figure out how to get Davidson off her back and out of her life? Was it when he was monotonously reciting The Lord's Prayer over and over again, or did she have a brilliant brainwave when he finally succumbed to all that she stood for, in his eyes, as a prostitute? You'll have to see the movie yourself to decide.<br /><br />However, I have a feeling it's the former scenario which makes Sadie Thompson more than just a smart, wisecracking hooker and perhaps was indeed the personification of evil that Davidson railed against. Therein lies the tragedy for Davidson: he pays the ultimate price for misjudging Sadie's power over him because he thinks he's more powerful than she. So...is it any co-incidence that this femme fatale went by the name of Sadie, a name that comes very close to Sade, and all that that implies? The small supporting cast performs brilliantly, as befits a stage play. And the period settings evoked strong memories of New Guinea, where I spent much of my youth fifty years ago.<br /><br />Fans of Joan Crawford would like this film. I did, even though I was no fan of hers.