07-06-21 Out of the Past (1947)

Seen: June 20th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 9

I like film noir. I like bad people being bad and making no apology. Sometimes they even get away with it. I like it when no one is quite what they appear to be, and the story's all about finding out what's really going on in the dark, where we can't quite see it.

Out of the Past is noir to the core.

There's no pulling punches here. Things are pretty and no one pretends they are. Jeff makes mistakes, admits them and pays for them. He may regret some of his choices, but doesn't shirk his responsibility or whine about the consequences. He's a man and takes it like one.

Whit and Kathie are the same. How many guys do you know that not only take back their girlfriend robs them, but send someone after her to bring her back. And not entirely for the money. You do know one? Did she shoot him as she was leaving too? Didn't think so.

And that's all just the premise, just a place for the film to start. It all jumps off from there. This is a tale of betrayal and deceit rarely seen since biblical times. Very few of the characters are really clean, and those are so obvious they make your teeth hurt.

The acting here is spot on. Mitchum is perfect. He play Jeff more smart than tough, though he can hold his own. He gives him cynical edge, along with a deeper romantic sensibility that he fights to reconcile with the real world. He's a victim here, but an all too willing one.

Kirk Douglas does an excellent job. We want to really hate Sterling. He's slimy and bad, but it's hard to really despise a man that charming and seemingly honest. He's in so much control, rarely even raising his voice as things go bad. He's a bit the anti-villain, which is intriguing.

Jane Greer's performance tops them all. The things she does and says with a straight face or a winning smile are simply stunning. Her performance is so straight, so plain, so standard, that it belies everything that her character really is at her core. Kathie is thoroughly convincing to the end. To say more would spoil it.

The lighting is awesome. This is a dark movie and it plays that way. The scenes are constructed and shot to emphasize the dark but don't fall victim to it. There are a day scenes, as you watch this, think of their relevance compared to the ones played at night.

See this one if you like noir. It twists and turns a bit, but isn't so convoluted it that it trips over its feel. The characters are great and the story classic.

Aside: Paul Valentine reminds me of Ben Affleck. Weird.

The Good: Noir to the core

The Bad: Almost everybody

The Ugly: Losing count of the crossings