Review of The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) by Alexandra W — 06 May 2010

The plot is a little too complicated to briefly summarize, but it's a fantastic noir premise that sets up an exploration of manipulation, desperation, power and obsession. A little slow moving, but definitely worth it for the high points, especially the climax.

Just when you think it's going to wuss out with a Hollywood-ized ending, BAM. Barbara Stanwyck and Kirk Douglas are both absolutely superb as devious but severely damaged people. And Lizabeth Scott has a wonderful, shabby Gena Rowlands-esque quality to her as the "good girl".

But there are a few drawbacks. Van Heflin in the lead is actually the weakest link in the cast... he's okay, but he pales next to the other primary actors. I also felt the direction could use some more pizzazz.

There's few indicators that this is the same guy who did such a masterful job with All Quiet on the Western Front (although maybe my impression of that movie has been inflated in hindsight). The Miklos Rozsa score is far too prominent and needs some dialing back.

And if you want to nitpick: this movie contains one of the phoniest murders ever. When young Martha Ivers kills her aunt (not a spoiler, it happens early in the film), she looks like she's tapping her forehead with a magic wand.

With a little tightening up and a little more zip, this would be one of the finest noirs I've ever seen. As it is, it's still damn near the top.