At the centre is the noir theme of a man’s destructive obsession with a femme fatale. The possibility of redemption is offered by the presence in a pastoral retreat of the safe, undemanding woman. The film’s special hallucinatory quality has its bases in Mitchum’s restrained playing and narration as the fated hero. Tourneur brings a downbeat, tragic other-worldliness to the complex flashback structure in which the past gradually overtakes the present. Photographer Nicholas Musuraca makes disconcerting use of deep shadow. Cast includes Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming and Richard Webb. Based on the novel “Build my gallows high” by Geoffrey Homes.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
311579
Language
English
Audience classification
PG
Subject categories
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Crime films
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Detective and mystery films
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Film noir
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Gangster films
Crime, Espionage, Justice, Police & Prisons → Extortion
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)