Review of The Petrified Forest (1973) by Mjs M — 05 Apr 2008

This film is mainly remembered for having Humphrey Bogart?s breakthrough role, and that?s really all that?s worth remembering it for. Bogart plays a memorable villain here that doesn?t show up until the third act.

Until then it?s a bit of a waste, clearly based on a play and poorly expanded for the cinema. Leslie Howard is the lead, and he?s really weak, his acting is exaggerated and the character comes off like a complete wimp.

I don?t expect complete naturalism from actors of this era, but he?s particularly bad. It does pick up in the last act and the beginning isn?t completely hard to take. An interesting bit of film archeology, but not overly compelling.