One of the greatest films of all time, certainly almost the greatest noir, watch while you still can.
What a movie. If I had to give away the term quintessential film noir to any film noir, Out of the Past could very well be it. The plot is complicated yet it is very engrossing, with plenty of effective scenes, especially that unforgettable ending. It is gorgeously shot, exceptionally directed, adeptly scripted and atmospherically scored, these are reasons enough to watch this film. But I can't write this review without praising the acting. Robert Mitchum is memorably languid as the ultra-hard-boiled former private detective, while Jane Greer is dangerously beautiful as the cold yet equally beautiful femme-fatale. Kirk Douglas is also brilliant as the soft-spoken yet truly Machiavellian gangster. Overall, Out of The Past is quite simply quintessential film noir.
10/10 Bethany Cox
My take: Mitchum is of course great, the film a bit wonky in places and very grim, but the centrepiece, IMHO, was Jane Greer. Totally amoral, not the slightest redeeming quality beyond the siren beauty, I was once taken for a ride by one.
The thing we men just can't get through our thick skulls is that ultra-feminine beauty does not equal niceness. Why should it? In fact, given how men fall at such a woman's feet, how could she ever grow up anything but twisted? It's all too easy, making saps out of ordinarily rational men. There's one golden rule - she ain't there for you, matey.
I remember The Night Of The Hunter from when it was shown in low red BBC 405 line B&A .
ReplyDeleteI those days they obviously did not see the horror.
Far worse than Dr Who.
I enjoyed it, but did not fully grasp it.