Film Review
Possibly the most underrated of Max Ophüls's films is this moody
film noir drama, the last of the four films that he completed during
his generally lacklustre stint in Hollywood in the 1940s. During
his short and pretty unproductive time in Tinsel Town, Ophüls
became fascinated by the film noir style, with its use of harsh
lighting, unusual camera angles and shadows to lend atmosphere and
subjectivity. Whilst the plot of
The Reckless Moment may not
naturally lend itself to the film noir style, its director succeeds in
employing the familiar noir motifs to create a tense, claustrophobic
drama. The end result is a film that is stylistically brilliant
but slightly marred by some implausible characterisation and a few
horrible plot contrivances.
Although her career was very much on the wane when she made this film,
Joan Bennett proves that she is still a very capable actress.
Here she gives one of her better performances, transforming what might
have been a limp melodrama into a poignant and engaging drama which is
devastatingly poignant in parts. Admittedly, the story is a tad
ridiculous in a few places, but Bennett and her illustrious co-star
James Mason play it for real and it is hard not to be moved by their
desperate attempt to extricate themselves from the vile web of intrigue
in which they have become ensnared.
The Reckless Moment scarcely
bears comparison with the triumphs that Max Ophüls would deliver
on his return to Europe. Yet, despite some obvious imperfections
(some of which can be attributed to its shoestring budget), this is a
beguiling film, darkly ironic in its portrayal of contemporary American
society and highly inventive in its use of film noir technique to
convey mood and a sense of psychological realism. If you
appreciate this film, you will absolutely adore what Ophüls made
afterwards, particularly his sublime masterpieces
Madame
de... (1953) and
Lola Montès (1955)
which, in common with
The Reckless
Moment, feature a strong-willed woman who is tormented and
ultimately crushed by the stifling constraints of her milieu.
© James Travers 2010
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Next Max Ophüls film:
La Ronde (1950)
Film Synopsis
Lucia Harper is a happily married housewife who enjoys a comfortable
middle class existence at her Californian beach home. With her
husband often away on business, she has a struggle trying to keep up
with her fast growing up children, David and Bea. When her
daughter takes an interest in a shady art dealer named Darby, Lucia
becomes anxious and resolves to end the relationship. Her fears
are conformed when, on seeing Darby, he offers to allow himself to be
bought off. Tired of her mother's inference in her life, Bea
decides to elope with Darby, but when they meet one evening she
realises his true character and knocks him unconscious in a fit of
rage. The next morning, Lucia finds Darby's body lying on the
beach and decides to dump it in the marshes. Not long afterwards,
she is visited by a sinister looking Irishman who is in possession of
love letters written by Bea to Darby. Unless Lucia pays him five
thousand dollars, the stranger, Martin Donnelly, will hand the letters
over to the police, thereby incriminating Bea in Darby's murder.
Lucia realises that unless she can find the money to pay off Donnelly,
her whole world will be destroyed...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.