This is a Film Noir that I managed to miss until watching it recently on Youtube. It's difficult to find on DVD or Blu-ray but is mentioned often by Noir fans and scholars. Directed by Joseph Losey, the screenplay was written by the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo, credited as Hugo Butler. Evelyn Keys stars as Susan Gilvray. As the film begins, Susan, alone in her house at night, sees a prowler outside her window. She calls the police. Two officers respond to the call, one of whom is Webb Garwood (Van Heflin). Garwood, cynical and cocky beyond all reason, is attracted to Susan. He comes back to her house alone to check up on her, and in no time at all, the two are involved in an affair. Susan's husband is a radio personality working the overnight shift, and the two lovers hear his voice as they tryst in Susan's house. The affair turns into obsession for both parties and Webb comes up with a plan to kill Susan's husband, making it look like an accident, and then have the two of them run off with his insurance money. You may think you know where this is going, but believe me, you don't. This movie is totally unique. One thing that makes it so different are the characterizations. Garwood is the epitome of a homme fatale and a master of manipulation. Susan Gilvray is a woman carried away by lust and desperation, and yet still manages to display a will to survive. There are enough twists and turns in this film to make it endlessly fascinating. Keyes and Heflin have never been better.
Included in one of the Film Noir collections from Kino-Lorber, this is a film I'd never heard of. Many of the titles in these collections don't necessarily fit the strict definition of Noir, but nevertheless turn out to be enjoyable, well-made crime stories. My expectations weren't all that high. But after only a few moments, this movie had me hooked. Truly, this is one of the most fascinating crime caper thrillers I've ever seen. It compares favorably to Stanley Kubrick's THE KILLING (1956). In fact, someone should consider showing both films as a double bill, big screen revival. The film was directed by Hubert Cornfield and the screenplay was written by Steven Rich, who is also a member of the cast. The plot is deceptively simple: Five men (Gene Raymond, Wayne Morris, Elisha Cook, Jr., Stafford Repp and Steven Rich) execute a complicated plan to rob a train carrying a gold shipment. Then they drive off in three different directions after dividing the gold. Raymond teams up with his girlfriend, Jeanne Cooper, to melt down his share of the loot and install it as part of his luxury car as a cover until they can sell the gold. As any fan of Noir could predict, everything that could possibly go wrong with this plan is shown in exciting detail in the fast-paced 72 minutes of screen time. A gem of a picture from beginning to end. And what an ending it has! Lots of location footage adds a raw, realistic sensibility. Fans of Jeanne Cooper's longtime portrayal of matriarch Katherine Chancellor on the soap opera The Young and the Restless will find it a special treat to see her in one of her earliest appearances. Very highly recommended.
There was a thread going around on Youtube among some of my fellow film freaks. We were asked to post a video to give a list of popular films that we've never seen. My list included several horror movie franchises that I had little interest in seeing. Among them was the SAW series. As I've mentioned many times, probably ad nauseum, I'm not a fan of excessive violence and gore. It's just not my thing. I only had to look at the poster for SAW and read the general plotline to know it was way outside of my personal wheelhouse. After I posted the video, one of my Youtube friends challenged me to watch the first film in the series, claiming that it had a quality story and was very much worth checking out. I decided to take him up on his challenge. I found a used copy at my local Disc Replay shop for $3.33 and resolved to watch it with an open mind. It turned out to be a heavy experience. While I can't say I enjoyed the movie, I did get totally caught up in it. After it was over, and I spent some time thinking about it, I realized that I had seen something that was absolutely brilliant. These young filmmakers had succeeded in establishing a dark, morbid, tension-filled atmosphere from the time the film started until the unbelievably harrowing ending. Everything about it was first-rate. All of the actors were convincing, including Danny Gover, the only name in the cast I recognized. The locations, the music, the cinematography all helped create an atmosphere of relentless dread. I don't think I ever want to watch this again. Once is more than enough. But this is an amazing accomplishment.
LA STRADA (1954)
My experience of the films of Federico Fellini is somewhat limited. I have a habit of rewatching 8 1/2 (1963) over and over, but I've only seen a handful of his other works. When I bought the Fellini box set from the Criterion Collection a few years ago, I resolved to be a little more adventurous and work my way to being a Fellini completist. After watching JULIET OF THE SPIRITS (1965) and ROMA (1972), and subsequently suffering from a complete psychic breakdown, I decided to put the box set back on the shelf for a while. OK, I'm joking about the psychic breakdown. But those two films were exhausting to say the least. Eventually, I decided to go back in time to one of the director's earlier works, LA STRADA. Fellini worked his magic on me with this one. I wasn't prepared for the heartbreaking experience of watching Giulietta Masina being mercilessly abused by Anthony Quinn. (I don't know how anyone could be prepared for it.) Nor was I prepared for the film's ending, with Quinn's character collapsing in abject misery and regret for what he had done to this gentle, lovely woman. A masterpiece of filmmaking.
ANGEL FACE (1953)
I saw part of this movie years ago on cable but never saw it all the way through until I recently picked up a used DVD copy. Robert Mitchum still holds the Number One position on my list of favorite actors, so I was glad to finally get to see this well-made Noir from his RKO contract years. Otto Preminger directed. Mitchum plays Frank Jessup, an ambulance driver. On a call, he meets lovely Diane Tremayne (Jean Simmons), an heiress. There is an attraction between the two. Diane manipulates her way into Frank's life, and he breaks up with his girlfriend (Mona Freeman) to have an affair with Diane. He even takes a job as chauffeur at the estate where Diane lives with her father and stepmother, who soon die under mysterious circumstances. Frank begins to realize what a truly disturbed piece of work Diane really is, but by that time, he's in way over his head. This film takes the concept of femme fatale up several notches. Simmons expertly plays this treacherous woman who has such a gorgeous countenance and seems so totally controlled. Mitchum's character is a man who thinks he's in control of his life and emotions and never truly comes to terms with how he is being used. It's always interesting to see Mitchum, the very symbol of masculine strength, allowing himself to be victimized by an unscrupulous woman. Cathy Moffatt (Jane Greer), his nemesis from OUT OF THE PAST could take a few lessons from Diane Tremayne. The film is mainly a psychological drama with little action until a shocking ending that is guaranteed to blow your mind.
I saw DODSWORTH in a film class dedicated to the works of William Wyler, and it's another film I'd heard great things about over the years. The praise was justified. This story of the breakdown of a marriage was fascinating from start to finish. It was originally a stage play written by Sidney Howard and based on a novel by Sinclair Lewis. Howard also wrote the screenplay. Walter Huston, who starred in the play, reprises his role as retiring businessman Samuel Dodsworth who sells his automotive company after twenty years and sails to Europe with his wife, Fran (Ruth Chatterton) for a vacation. Fran is a vain and selfish woman who is bored with her life and marriage and wants to immerse herself in upper-class European social life. The marriage becomes increasingly strained. Both parties are drawn into other relationships and decide to divorce. This sounds like high-grade soap opera, but the writing and performances are so intelligent and superior that the film rises to a much higher level. Ruth Chatterton isn't usually listed among the legendary actresses of the 1930s, but she was extremely popular and respected at this particular time, having been a top stage actress for many years. This is probably the best film to see her at the top of her abilities. She is perfectly matched by Huston, Mary Astor, David Niven, Paul Lukas, Gregory Gaye, Maria Ouspenskaya and John Payne in his film debut. DODSWORTH won seven Oscar nominations. One of the best films from Hollywood's Golden Age.
I saw this movie in a Canadian film class, having never heard of it before. What an incredible cinematic experience! Based on a short story by Farley Mowat entitled Walk Well, My Brother, the screenplay was written by Charles Martin Smith, who also directed. Smith is probably best known for his performances in AMERICAN GRAFITTI (1973) and THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (1978). The story takes place in 1953. Barry Pepper stars as Charlie Halliday, a Canadian bush pilot based in Yellowknife. Charlie had been a bomber in WW2. On a routine job near the Arctic ocean, he meets a group of Inuit who ask him to fly a sick young woman, Kanaalaq (Annabella Piugattuk) to a hospital. He reluctantly agrees. The plane ends up crashing and the two of them are stranded in the middle of nowhere. Charlie has no idea how to navigate the wilderness and must rely on his Inuit companion to survive. Kanaalaq uses her native skills to provide them with shelter, food and ways to heal injuries. Charlie grows to have deep respect and affection for the young woman and the two slowly find ways to communicate. He soon realizes that her health is failing her. She teaches Charlie what he must do to prepare her for her death and the afterlife. This is a film that deserves to be shown and celebrated in as many places as possible. It's truly one of the most beautiful and moving stories ever told on film. And there is more than enough action and exciting special effects to hold one's attention. Barry Pepper is a fine Canadian-American actor with a long list of credits. He gets quite a physical and emotional workout in this movie. Annabella Piugattuk is a Canadian Inuit who has only one other acting credit: INTO THE WEST (2005). Her presence in THE SNOW WALKER is nothing short of amazing. See this movie if you get a chance.
