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Ever since I took an online course on film noir a couple of years ago, I've had my eyes on this one. But for some reason, I hadn't seen it yet, so thanks to @ApexPredator for bringing it up. The film has all the ingredients of a perfect noir: dark surroundings, shady characters, skewed and subjective points of view, a potential femme fatale, etc. and yet it feels unique in its own way.
Laura follows up Mark McPherson, a New York detective (Dana Andrews) investigating the alleged murder of the titular character, who was a successful advertising executive. Some of the potential suspects are Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb), a newspaper columnist with a quick wit and a vicious tongue, and Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price), a "kept man" that happens to be engaged to Laura. As Mark follows up the trail on Laura's murder, he wounds up finding twists and surprises in every corner while also developing a crush on the woman.
Laura, who we first meet through flashbacks, is played effectively by Gene Tierney. It isn't the "showiest" role, but she gets the job done. Similar things can be said about Andrews, who is cool and slick as the tough cop. He doesn't get to emote much, and him falling for Laura feels like a bit of a stretch, but I don't mind him. The show here belongs to Webb as Waldo Lydecker. From the first frame when you hear his narration, you know the film belongs to him. Webb does a perfect job in portraying a unique man; a man that is both confident and frail, strong but flawed. You never know what to expect from Lydecker, aside of his verbal attacks. Which is why we might tolerate absurdities like allowing a suspect to ride shotgun with a cop while interrogating other suspects.
I think I agree with Ebert, who said that the "absurdities and improbabilities somehow do not diminish the film's appeal. They may even add to it." Laura is not a perfect film, and yet it seems perfect in its own flawed way. It flows effortlessly, it pulls you in and keeps you in. Like Lydecker himself, a unique film it is: flawed, but perfect.
Grade:
LAURA
(1944, Preminger)
(1944, Preminger)
"Love is eternal. It has been the strongest motivation for human actions throughout history. Love is stronger than life. It reaches beyond the dark shadow of death."
Ever since I took an online course on film noir a couple of years ago, I've had my eyes on this one. But for some reason, I hadn't seen it yet, so thanks to @ApexPredator for bringing it up. The film has all the ingredients of a perfect noir: dark surroundings, shady characters, skewed and subjective points of view, a potential femme fatale, etc. and yet it feels unique in its own way.
Laura follows up Mark McPherson, a New York detective (Dana Andrews) investigating the alleged murder of the titular character, who was a successful advertising executive. Some of the potential suspects are Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb), a newspaper columnist with a quick wit and a vicious tongue, and Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price), a "kept man" that happens to be engaged to Laura. As Mark follows up the trail on Laura's murder, he wounds up finding twists and surprises in every corner while also developing a crush on the woman.
Laura, who we first meet through flashbacks, is played effectively by Gene Tierney. It isn't the "showiest" role, but she gets the job done. Similar things can be said about Andrews, who is cool and slick as the tough cop. He doesn't get to emote much, and him falling for Laura feels like a bit of a stretch, but I don't mind him. The show here belongs to Webb as Waldo Lydecker. From the first frame when you hear his narration, you know the film belongs to him. Webb does a perfect job in portraying a unique man; a man that is both confident and frail, strong but flawed. You never know what to expect from Lydecker, aside of his verbal attacks. Which is why we might tolerate absurdities like allowing a suspect to ride shotgun with a cop while interrogating other suspects.
I think I agree with Ebert, who said that the "absurdities and improbabilities somehow do not diminish the film's appeal. They may even add to it." Laura is not a perfect film, and yet it seems perfect in its own flawed way. It flows effortlessly, it pulls you in and keeps you in. Like Lydecker himself, a unique film it is: flawed, but perfect.
Grade: