All About Eve

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 11th grade March 2002

download word file, 2 pages 0.0

Downloaded 1504 times

Eve Harrington begins her carrier, as nothing more than a star-struck fan, looking to meet her idol. Her accts of callus betrayal in order to take the role of Margo Channing are seen many times through out the film, an example of multiplicity (simile). Harrington's manipulation of Channing's trust helps her slowly move into Channing's life, then trying to take everything away from Channing including her career and lover. In the Ten Commandments it states, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's."(Biblical allusion) where as in this particular film, just the opposite is observed. Many of the situations that involved jealousy and deceit, have also occurred in the past, as well as the present.

"Margo Channing, a true movie star" once stated by Addison De Witt.

This perfectly describes the personality and attitude of Channing, who is often, a cocky, self-centered individual. She believes she is the ultimate actress, and believes no other can compare to her stature. Harrington is looked upon in the beginning of the film as an over obsessive fan, who would like nothing more than to be just like her idol, Margo Channing. Channing overcomes her arrogance, and begins to feel sympathy for Harrington. Channigns sympathy for Harrington quickly turns to hostility, as Channing suspects Harrington's plan when Harrington has already anticipated and planned a welcome home and belated birthday party for Bill Sampson (Channing's lover). Channing begins to get drunk and feels in a "Macbethish" mood (Shakespearean allusion), she snidely calls Eve "the Kid" and "Junior," feeling threatened by the cunning young actress.

Many of the themes in this film come back to the basic idea or principal of jealousy. Such as when Harrington tries to deceived Channing, and then again when Harrington is deceived by Phoebe, who is introduced at the end of the film. The Ten Commandments states that "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's," which is something that Eve and Phoebe should consider in their everyday lives. Both Harrington and Phoebe try the same cunning stunts in order to drag one another down, and to take what the other has, deceptively.

Often times history repeats itself, which in this case it is no exception. For example, when the Trojans took the beautiful wife Helen from the King of Troy, the Greek people were infuriated, and used deceptive tactics (building a large wooden horse and hiding in it) to take the city of Troy (Historical allusion). This similar situation also appears in the film "All About Eve" when Herrington tries to use deceptive practices to take away everything from her idol, Channing.

Through out the films twisted plot, it is discovered that many of the ways Harrington treated Channing, are again re-enacted through Phoebe who admires Harrington so greatly. Throughout the film, Harrington uses manipulation to slowly tear down Channing, in which she succeeds to some extent. Jealousy is the primary driving factor behind the stunning examples of manipulation in order to gain what someone else has.