Review of The Letter (1940) by Bob V — 16 Jan 2011
Suspense film ably directed by William Wyler. The tone and atmosphere are superbly established in the first scene, but unfortunately the film struggles all the way to the end to reach the same level.
Davis acts her part well, always leaving the viewer doubting, and never conclusively establishing her character one way or the other. That little tour de force nabbed her another Oscar nomination. The rest of the cast is competent, though a little dull in my opinion.
The film would have been better off without the final scene, which was not in the original play, but the Hays Office demanded it be added, since 'justice' needed to be done. As it is, it takes down the entire film with its "bad deeds always get their comeuppance" standpoint. I suggest pretending the next to last scene is actually the finale, it leaves the ambiguity of the story much more poignant.
This review of The Letter (1940) was written by Bob V on 16 Jan 2011.
The Letter has generally received very positive reviews.
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