Out of the Past(1947) combines two basic elements of film noir(detective, innocent man corrupted plotlines)that results in something masterful. Out of the Past(1947) was a product of a maturing genre, which during the late 1940s, began dealing with taboo themes more frequently. There was a slow uprise in implicit expressions of sexuality, and violent intensity. Also, filmmakers began exploring themes and ideas not covered during early years of film noir. By the late 1940s, many American noirs were depicting psychopathic behavior more often into plots.
American cinema of the 1940s is characterized by large amounts of cigarette smoking, especially in film noir genre. Out of the Past(1947) is the ultimate smoking noir picture of the 1940s. The smoking is as much apart of plot as actors or locations because of clouded character motives that are developed. Back then, cigarette smoking in American films was seen as a form of American coolness, individualism, and toughness. What smoking does create in Out of the Past is an air of mysterious atmosphere.
Its fatalistic love story is depicted in the style of classical Greek tragedy. Jeff Markham is a quintessential tragic noir hero whose obsessive desire for femme fatale, Kathie Moffat leads to his downfall. Love story element involving Jeff and Kathie feels like something out of Double Indemnity(1944), or Scarlet Street(1946). Not surprising considering that one of the writers involved with screenplay was James M. Cain(uncredited)whose signature noir style is all over the love story angle. Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer light up the screen with enough sexual chemistry and desire to fill a room.
Trangle motif plays an important role in plot and motives of main characters involved. There are two love triangles shown in Out of the Past(1947). The first one involves Jeff(Robert Mitchum), Kathie(Jane Greer), and Whit(Kirk Douglas). Second love triangle includes Jeff(Robert Mitchum), Kathie(Jane Greer), and Ann(Virginia Huston). Love triangles are an enduring quality of fiction that never seems to die because of people's interest in them, and artists fascination by their conflictual elements.
Mitchum established himself as a Hollywood tough guy with his ambiguous, cool depiction of an amoral fatalistic detective. His characterization of Jeff shows Mitchum in his element when displaying emotions of animalistic vulnerability. Raymond Chandler may have had a point in believing that Robert Mitchum was a perfect choice to play Philip Marlowe. He certainly had the face and physical presence to play the Mike Hammer character. His performance is brought up three notches by Jacques Tourneur's brilliant direction of his actors.
The tension, director, Jacques Tourneur creates through moody b/w photography unfolds in a way, which compells the viewer to keep eyes stuck on what happens next. Atmospheric tension is at the forefront of the ensuring conflict faced by main characters, and the resolution of this conflict. Mitchum, Douglas, and Greer's acting performances conjure up human tension by sheer presence, and hard-boiled acting styles. The cinematography in Out of the Past contributes in creating tension by moving in a clautraphobic flow. Atmosphere is conjured up in a manner not too dissimilar to atmosphere, and mood created by Tourneur for his horror films.
Jacques Tourneur hands out what is in my opinion, his best film beating out the horror pic he did during that same period of time. Famous climatic sequence that is shown on any documentary on film noir is handled with intensifed professionalism. Watching many of the scenes, I am impressed by the well roundedness of Tourneur's direction, and a taut feeling of paranoia created by Tourneur. The introductory meeting moment between Jeff and Kathie is a highlight of Film noir in 1940s American cinema. Out of the Past(1947) is to noir cinema in the same vein that his horror classics were to that genre.
What separates the great from the average film noires are the handling of the double cross scene, and the way one portrays it. Difference between a believablely tense double cross moment, and an unconvincing one depends on the acting and direction, which when great can make the double cross moment work like clockwork. Out of the Past(1947) is one of those films where the double cross moment becomes a believable spectacle of dark human impulses. The fabulous acting, camerawork, and direction all work functionly to make famous double cross moment succeed. One reason the double cross moment fails in many Neo-Noirs is because they come out of nowhere or are blandly depicted.
A film, which I believe had an impact on the style and depiction of characters in OFTP is Luchino Visconti's Ossessione(1942). Like Detour, which I have written about earlier, Out of the Past feels like at times, an American Neo-Realist film. Qualities which made classics like Ossessione, show up in Out of the Past(1947) in character composition, and depiction of locations. The fatalistic love story follows in the same manner of tragedy here as in Ossessione. Tourneur was inspired by the look and tone of Ossession, and was able to create a masterpiece with a style distinctly his own.
Kirk Douglas gives one of his best pre-Sparticus performances in film. Kirk Douglas matches the coolness and tough attitude of Mitchum in scenes where they are in together. The final scene is one, which is always discussed in college classes, and documentaries on film noirs, or American cinema. Out of the Past(1947) is a well rounded film that still holds up as a piece of legendary movie making. A favorite, which has aged well, and never ceases to be entertaining as well as provocative.
American cinema of the 1940s is characterized by large amounts of cigarette smoking, especially in film noir genre. Out of the Past(1947) is the ultimate smoking noir picture of the 1940s. The smoking is as much apart of plot as actors or locations because of clouded character motives that are developed. Back then, cigarette smoking in American films was seen as a form of American coolness, individualism, and toughness. What smoking does create in Out of the Past is an air of mysterious atmosphere.
Its fatalistic love story is depicted in the style of classical Greek tragedy. Jeff Markham is a quintessential tragic noir hero whose obsessive desire for femme fatale, Kathie Moffat leads to his downfall. Love story element involving Jeff and Kathie feels like something out of Double Indemnity(1944), or Scarlet Street(1946). Not surprising considering that one of the writers involved with screenplay was James M. Cain(uncredited)whose signature noir style is all over the love story angle. Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer light up the screen with enough sexual chemistry and desire to fill a room.
Trangle motif plays an important role in plot and motives of main characters involved. There are two love triangles shown in Out of the Past(1947). The first one involves Jeff(Robert Mitchum), Kathie(Jane Greer), and Whit(Kirk Douglas). Second love triangle includes Jeff(Robert Mitchum), Kathie(Jane Greer), and Ann(Virginia Huston). Love triangles are an enduring quality of fiction that never seems to die because of people's interest in them, and artists fascination by their conflictual elements.
Mitchum established himself as a Hollywood tough guy with his ambiguous, cool depiction of an amoral fatalistic detective. His characterization of Jeff shows Mitchum in his element when displaying emotions of animalistic vulnerability. Raymond Chandler may have had a point in believing that Robert Mitchum was a perfect choice to play Philip Marlowe. He certainly had the face and physical presence to play the Mike Hammer character. His performance is brought up three notches by Jacques Tourneur's brilliant direction of his actors.
The tension, director, Jacques Tourneur creates through moody b/w photography unfolds in a way, which compells the viewer to keep eyes stuck on what happens next. Atmospheric tension is at the forefront of the ensuring conflict faced by main characters, and the resolution of this conflict. Mitchum, Douglas, and Greer's acting performances conjure up human tension by sheer presence, and hard-boiled acting styles. The cinematography in Out of the Past contributes in creating tension by moving in a clautraphobic flow. Atmosphere is conjured up in a manner not too dissimilar to atmosphere, and mood created by Tourneur for his horror films.
Jacques Tourneur hands out what is in my opinion, his best film beating out the horror pic he did during that same period of time. Famous climatic sequence that is shown on any documentary on film noir is handled with intensifed professionalism. Watching many of the scenes, I am impressed by the well roundedness of Tourneur's direction, and a taut feeling of paranoia created by Tourneur. The introductory meeting moment between Jeff and Kathie is a highlight of Film noir in 1940s American cinema. Out of the Past(1947) is to noir cinema in the same vein that his horror classics were to that genre.
What separates the great from the average film noires are the handling of the double cross scene, and the way one portrays it. Difference between a believablely tense double cross moment, and an unconvincing one depends on the acting and direction, which when great can make the double cross moment work like clockwork. Out of the Past(1947) is one of those films where the double cross moment becomes a believable spectacle of dark human impulses. The fabulous acting, camerawork, and direction all work functionly to make famous double cross moment succeed. One reason the double cross moment fails in many Neo-Noirs is because they come out of nowhere or are blandly depicted.
A film, which I believe had an impact on the style and depiction of characters in OFTP is Luchino Visconti's Ossessione(1942). Like Detour, which I have written about earlier, Out of the Past feels like at times, an American Neo-Realist film. Qualities which made classics like Ossessione, show up in Out of the Past(1947) in character composition, and depiction of locations. The fatalistic love story follows in the same manner of tragedy here as in Ossessione. Tourneur was inspired by the look and tone of Ossession, and was able to create a masterpiece with a style distinctly his own.
Kirk Douglas gives one of his best pre-Sparticus performances in film. Kirk Douglas matches the coolness and tough attitude of Mitchum in scenes where they are in together. The final scene is one, which is always discussed in college classes, and documentaries on film noirs, or American cinema. Out of the Past(1947) is a well rounded film that still holds up as a piece of legendary movie making. A favorite, which has aged well, and never ceases to be entertaining as well as provocative.