“Forbidden” is a quite contrived soap opera-ish melodrama that would be difficult to take seriously if it wasn´t for Barbara Stanwyck´s truthful and emotionally powerful lead performance. I sound like a broken record when I review Stanwyck movies, but she truly acts circles around everyone. My favorite acting moment, without saying too much, is after a gun is fired and Stanwyck´s face tells a whole story without her saying a word. I´m now 13 movies into her filmography and so far, I´ve never seen her phone-in a performance. I also like that as a pre-code film, “Forbidden” could go to some places later Hollywood melodramas could not but all in all, Barbara Stanwyck´s performance is the only truly memorable aspect of the movie.