Review of Out of the Past (1947) by Ross M — 13 Apr 2009
Classic. Noir at it's best. All the Noir conventions are there and they gleam in this picture.
The story is spellbinding and is brought vividly to life with fantastic performances from every cast member. The use of shadows is great. Just like in the other Tourneur film I Walked With A Zombie. In that, fear is created, and in this, mystery is created by the shadows.
Like in I Walked With A Zombie, Tourneur keeps a fantastic pace throughout. It remains even, therfore none of the intrigue gets lost. He uses great angles too, keeping it a joy to watch aswell as helping create various moods.
The screenplay is a joy to listen too. It is poetic in many parts and has lots of great lines. It is one of the best screenplays of all time.
The performances are top-notch. Mitchum, in the youngest role I have seen him in, he was 29 at the time steales the show as always and speaks his lines of dialogue in the way only he could. It was also great to watch Kirk Douglas and he really helped make the film be as fantastic as it is. Jane Greer is wonderful too and was really impressive in her role, covering a wide range of emotions perfectly.
This is an amazing noir and is one of the best films of the 40's.
This review of Out of the Past (1947) was written by Ross M on 13 Apr 2009.
Out of the Past has generally received very positive reviews.
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