My weekly movie reviews. You can also read these on letterboxd.
This week focuses on three Film Noir classics I’d never seen before.
STRANGE FASCINATION (1952)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
My friend Gus mentioned Hugo Haas to be years ago but I never took the time to check out his work. Programmed on Criterion and leaving soon, I prioritized watching my first Haas movie, STRANGE FASCINATION.
In the traditional sense this isn’t Noir but in the truest sense it is. In fact, it’s more Noir than most of the films that claim to be. Haas perfectly captures obsessive love and how it destroys you. That’s the essence of the genre, not dark shadows. But STRANGE FASCINATION is so much more than that. The film is ahead of its time in terms of writing and performance. Hugh’s dialog sounds modern, like when he tells the girl that there’s nothing new about her “sexy” routine. You just don’t hear lines like these in other films of the time and you also don’t hear them played that way. Hugh’s delivery is subtle, almost deadpan. The girl is great too, an atypical femme fatale because she’s not intentionally manipulative or conniving, she’s just following her instincts. She’s fatal because she unconsciously continues her cycle, which is scarier and more realistic than most of the temptress types in these movies.
It’s an amazing film, spoiled only slightly by one of those endings they just couldn’t get away from at the time…
Watched on Criterion Channel.
CRY OF THE HUNTED (1953)
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars
I usually love the crime and western work of Joseph H. Lewis but this bayou-set thriller is not one of his finest moments.
CRY OF THE HUNTED is filled with self-conscious dialog, especially in the first twenty minutes. It’s the kind of Noir writing I can’t stand: obviously stylized, purposefully clever. The trick with great Noir writing is to do all that without being noticed. The script and acting in HUNTED reminds me of how modern filmmakers attempt to imitate genre films of the 50s.
The second half of the movie, set in the swamps of Louisiana, is better because Lewis gets away from words but his thriller never manages to thrill or even make us care much about the two protagonists. The one exception is a fist fight that ends in a quick sand pit. That scene is really the only reason to remember this movie.
Watched on Criterion Collection
THE BIG HEAT (1953)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
I have never warmed to the work of Fritz Lang. Even his technically impressive films never grabbed me, never made me feel anything but distant admiration. THE BIG HEAT is different. With its focus on character and a straight forward narrative, it doesn’t feel like most of the Fritz Lang pictures I’ve seen.
It also features a fantastic performance from Glenn Ford, one of his finest and one of the best portrayals of a cop ever put on screen. Ford’s crusading detective is tough yet so human. The tragedy at the center of the film really broke my heart to watch, especially since the early domestic scenes are so well played. What a contrast those moments of tenderness are to the forced banter of the husband/wife relationship in CRY OF THE HUNTED. Previous Lang films I’ve seen never took the time for moments like that and BIG HEAT greatly benefits from exploring the humanity of its characters, including the mob girlfriend played by Gloria Grahame.
Hers is as interesting a journey to watch as Ford’s and her performance stands tall among all other female parts in Film Noir. The movie hints that perhaps there could have been a future for these two tortured souls if things had worked out differently but like most Noir characters, they’re not meant for a happy ending.
Watched on Criterion Channel.
