Overview
A Southern belle's pride leads to heartbreak and a quest for redemption in the antebellum South.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- passionate
- brooding
- elegant
- classic cinema evening
- historical romance night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as powerful classic melodrama elevated by Bette Davis’s commanding performance, while some find its late redemption unconvincing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Julie Marsden repeatedly prioritizes vanity and defiance over her engagement and social expectations, damaging her relationship with Preston and her standing in the community.
The plot turns on formal dress, courtship expectations, reputation, and class conventions in 1850s Louisiana society.
Julie is the central force of the narrative, portrayed by Bette Davis as proud, manipulative, passionate, and capable of sacrifice.
Antebellum New Orleans elegance is shadowed by jealousy, social punishment, yellow fever, and the threat of epidemic illness.
Films like Jezebel, and why
Gone with the Wind
shared antebellum setting, romantic conflict, emotionally forceful female protagonist, and period melodrama
The Heiress
shared classic Hollywood romance, female-centered moral conflict, and socially restrictive period setting
Wuthering Heights
shared historical romance, pride-driven self-destruction, and intense psychological melodrama
Movie Details
- Director
- William Wyler
- Release Date
- 1938-03-26
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (225)
Cast
- Bette Davis
- Henry Fonda
- George Brent
- Margaret Lindsay
- Donald Crisp
- Fay Bainter
- Richard Cromwell
- Henry O'Neill
- Spring Byington
- John Litel
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Jezebel about?
- A proud Louisiana belle’s defiance turns a broken engagement into a lavish, morally charged struggle for love and redemption.
- What is Jezebel like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Jezebel as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Jezebel violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Jezebel as mild.
- What did critics think of Jezebel?
- Critics broadly regard the film as powerful classic melodrama elevated by Bette Davis’s commanding performance, while some find its late redemption unconvincing.
- Which films are like Jezebel?
- Films with a similar feel include Gone with the Wind, The Heiress, and Wuthering Heights.
- How long is Jezebel?
- Jezebel runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Jezebel?
- In United States, Jezebel is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
