That wasn't the case with Jacques Tourneur's Out of the Past. It was heralded as one of the greatest noirs ever made, and upon seeing it I can understand why. It has many common elements of noir that flow with immense ease.
Jeff Bailey best captures Robert Mitchum's screen persona of the laid back anti-hero. He's willing to find Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer) for Whit Sterling (the first glimpse of Kirk Douglas' devious screen persona) but upon seeing her, Jeff has almost met his match.
My opinion on Out of the Past is a bit different than perhaps that of others. I thought it was quite good, and I particularly liked the work from Mitchum and Douglas. However, I thought the narrative was a little jumbled. I still think it's good though.
My Rating: ****1/2
My favorite film noir. This review made me want to watch it again ASAP. Guess I know what I'm doing tonight.
ReplyDeleteOut of the Past is one of my favorites as well. It's getting a rewatch soon.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best, if not the best, first appearance of the femme fatale in a movie. You completely believe that Jane Greer could get a man to do anything.
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