Review of Dark Victory (1939) by Leighton T — 22 Nov 2010
A fine melodrama, containing a terrific leading performance from Better Davis, that is largely overlooked because of the many other amazing films released in Hollywood's pinnacle year of 1939. In some ways, this film looked to set up the austere-adult driven films of the 1940's, especially when you look at Best Pictures such as Mrs.
Miniver and The Lost Weekend and may actually be more important than we realize, a film that bridges decades. There's no faulting the supporting cast either: Geralidine Fitzergerald, George Brent, Ronald Reagan, and even Bogey himself, are all terrific.
(Bogart plays so against type, that it takes a few scenes to get used to him.) Beautiful, simple cinematography (the same cinematographer as Gone with the Wind) aid the film, and gives it a simple beauty that adds to the sadness of the story.
This review of Dark Victory (1939) was written by Leighton T on 22 Nov 2010.
Dark Victory has generally received positive reviews.
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