Review of This Gun for Hire (1942) by Maria R — 27 Feb 2005

[i]This Gun For Hire.

[/i]Although [i]This Gun For Hire [/i]does not belong on the same level as the greatest film noir, inclusive of films such as [i]Rififi, High and Low, [/i]and [i]Out of the Past[/i], it certainly does excite and engage for its duration. The story revolves around a callous, amoral hired assassin named Raven (Alan Ladd) who, after doing a job, is framed for a robbery by his very employer. Soon we find that this employer?s goals were far more sinister than they first appeared. Soon a ravishing female spy (Veronica Lake) becomes intertwined into the tale after a small coincidence and misunderstanding puts her in a compromising situation, unwittingly along with Raven on the run from the cops. It is notable for being one of the first films to sympathize with a criminal yet it accomplishes much more through the performance of its lead. Alan Ladd excellently adds subtle human touches throughout creating a fascinating character arc echoed in the final scene. Every scene with him in it is packed with finer details of emotion which make the film all the more strangely convincing. For example, in one scene, after having just killed a man, there is a small crippled girl on the stairs. She asks if Raven could retrieve her ball. Knowing that she could serve as a witness to his having been there he quickly reaches for his gun but then retracts his hand sympathetically and gives her the ball. The interesting thing about his performance is how utterly emotional he seems while keeping a superficial hardhearted look. More than anything, Ladd?s performance separates [i]This Gun for Hire[/i] from most other films.