Nightfall (1956) ***1/2
Jacques Tourneur imbued heavy noir vibes into the excellent horror films that he made for producer Val Lewton such as Cat People (1942) and I Walked With A Zombie (1943), before making one of the key classic noirs, Out Of The Past (1947). Near the end of what many consider the classic period (1940–1960), the director returned to similar territory with Nightfall (1956), based on a book by David Goodis, who also wrote Dark Passage (1946), which itself spawned a great 1947 film written and directed by Delmer Daves and starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
Nightfall is a strong late noir with two unusual leads, Aldo Ray and Anne Bancroft. Initially, they seem to be oddly mismatched but as the film progresses their chemistry is undeniable. The dialogue by Stirling Silliphant—an eclectic writer who could tackle various genres with ease—is all at once crisp, tough and tender. The film has an incredible sense of economy at a brisk 79 minutes. Nightfall is also noteworthy in its finale for eschewing its earlier nighttime cityscapes (so prevalent in noir) in favor of a bright snowy Wyoming backdrop.
You can find my Film Noir Feature Films Ranked list here.
Nightfall is a strong late noir with two unusual leads, Aldo Ray and Anne Bancroft. Initially, they seem to be oddly mismatched but as the film progresses their chemistry is undeniable. The dialogue by Stirling Silliphant—an eclectic writer who could tackle various genres with ease—is all at once crisp, tough and tender. The film has an incredible sense of economy at a brisk 79 minutes. Nightfall is also noteworthy in its finale for eschewing its earlier nighttime cityscapes (so prevalent in noir) in favor of a bright snowy Wyoming backdrop.
You can find my Film Noir Feature Films Ranked list here.
Comments
Post a Comment