Review of The Lady from Shanghai (1947) by Doug C — 17 Aug 2010

Chances are, if a film was made during the noir era, I am going to enjoy it. But what separates this film noir from others is the actor/director genius from Mr.Orson Welles. Though the film is a bit confusing and the title may have been a bit misleading, this is a tense and multilayered thriller that couples its romantic edge with unmatched intellect. Probably Welles' second best directed and second best directed film I have seen (the first being Kane of course!).

The plot is nothing less you would expect from a film noir. An affair between an Irish sailor and a gold-digging wife of a criminal lawyer is shown on a cruise from coast to coast of the US. The lawyer is crippled and struggling with his marriage while his partner lawyer maybe insane with the two lovebirds caught in this messy web of dysfunction. Somewhere in this, a murder plot is thrown in with the scandalous sailor getting the short end of the stick. The plot can be a bit overwhelming at times, so much that the producer actually had to pay someone to explain it to him while filming. A few expected twists and turns, a noir ending and the film is over. I had to watch carefully the entire way through so I wouldn't miss any character or subtle event that Welles threw in, after digesting it I realized the gem that Welles had here. When understood completely, the film triumphs.

Though his Irish gruff may be a bit put on at times, Welles gives a typically great performance though the chemistry between his character and Rita Hayworth is a bit stretched. This may have been a product of their failing marriage at the time, as the soon would divorce. The other supporting characters, most notably the crafty partner lawyer also really pull the story together. The real star though, is the cinematography. There are a lot of great shots of the mexican coast, the dark alleyways, and a chinatown chase that was later payed homage in The Departed. The ending hall of mirrors sequence, is a thing of legend, showcasing both Welles' talent behind and in front of the camera.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, it was hard to follow and the performances and chemistry may not be up to par with films like Kane or The Third Man, but I was never one to complain to much when watching a film noir, and this is old-school noir at its most creative.