Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by tinear (A) on January 16, 2008 at 16:42:47

by many one of the finest of the genre, it features an unbeatable cast including Robert Mitchum, as the central figure who tries, unsuccessfully of course, to escape his violent past and his destructive entanglement with the femme fatale played by Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming (pre-red hair and almost non-recognizable she's so young), Virginia Houston (who is quite beautiful as the "good girl"), and Paul Valentine as the hit-man.
The plot? Well, as with so many of these kinds of films, it really is secondary to style, attitude, and suspense: it does have the adequate number of set-piece components, such as murder, blackmail, double-crosses, infidelity, and general confusion.
What sets this apart from the common noir not only is the acting but the stunning location filming in the wilderness areas of California, as well as the Mexican locations.
Robert Mitchum, though, is the best reason to see this film. He shows he is perhaps the best actor of his generation NOT to win a Best Actor Oscar.
What struck me, outside of his powerful screen magnetism, was the quality of his voice. Few modern actors can enunciate or have even average quality voice projection. Mitchum could have been a successful stage actor and, in fact, that's where he got his start.