OUT OF THE PAST |
| CREDITS: Director: Jacques Tourneur Cast: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer & Kirk
Douglas. USA 1947 INTRODUCTION: An incredibly apt title for this recently re-released, in a brand new print, classic film noir. Perhaps better known as "Build My Gallows High", the Geoffrey Holmes novel upon which it was based. SYNOPSIS: Jeff Bailey an ex-private detective is dragged out of retirement by former employer Stirling (Douglas) and lost love Kathy (Greer) to perform one last service, but being a film noir things don't work out that simple and nobody is quite who they seem. REVIEW: 'Time Out' claims that this is "the only movie with both a deaf-mute garage hand and death by fishing-rod" and while I have to agree that I can think of no other, I suppose if you're a deaf-mute who works in a garage and enjoys fishing these may be major selling points, but the movie has better selling points. For me, at least, the unparalleled acting talents and the sublimely twisted plot. The recently departed Mitchum ably demonstrates why he will long be remembered as an actor with a dominating screen presence. Even when up against the polished performance of a star of Douglas' stature, he retains the viewers interest. A rare commodity in today's villain dominated movies in which the hero is often reduced to supporting status. But as with any film noir it is the femme-fatale who steals the show. Greer puts in a supremely understated performance in this regard. As for the plot, it is your typical tale of post-war misogyny. The woman who took her husband's place in the factory during the war is now expected to return to the kitchen, the emerging strong female who refuses to accept this is seen as the enemy preventing our erstwhile hero from completing his Oedipal trajectory. Unable to settle down with the girl next door he pursues this temptress and eventually, of course, she must be punished. Not that I blame Tourneur ("Cat People" & "I Walked With A Zombie"), as back when this film was made the studios took complete control over all aspects of film production, from script to casting. Indeed the only way a director could assert his individuality was in the framing and set-up of a shot. Tourneur was one of the masters of this mise-en-scene. Indeed the scene where the shadow of Mitchum and his former partner duking it out falls across Kathy, while a sly smile plays at the corners of her lips, must be a classic of the genre. A gem from the golden age of cinema, the sort of film that Hollywood no longer seems able to make, as was ably demonstrated by Taylor Hackford's 1984 remake "Against All Odds" which, despite the presence of Greer as Kathy's mother, never managed to live up to its illustrious predecessor. The classic film noir in a new stunning print. Mutt's Rating: **** |