US 113m Dir: Tay Garnett Key Cast: Lana Turner and John Garfield
Based on: The Postman Always Rings Twice (Novel) by James M. Cain
The novel this film is based on how been adapted into film several times in other languages, most notably the Italian film Ossessione. Many studios had thought about adapting the popular novel in the US but it was a challenge getting it through the censors of the time.
Drifter Frank (John Garfield) arrives at a roadside diner where a job is advertised and quickly falls for the attractive Cora (Lana Turner) who is married to the much older Nick (Cecil Kellaway). After some initial reluctance, the pair begin an affair and plot to kill Nick. When the case comes to court they end up turning on each other.
The film has all the elements of a classic film noir. A femme fatale, a plot to kill her husband and the antihero narrating the film from the final scene. I think the biggest difference to most of the genre is that both Cora and Frank are really complicated characters. They are both terrible people but their feelings for each other are genuine and it is this that makes the film so compelling. They spend the whole film unsure whether to make love or kill each other and it's a fascinating relationship to observe.
It really helps that the actors sell it perfectly- that may partly be because they embarked on a short-lived relationship during the production of the film. It's arguably Lana Turner's best-ever performance, portraying the perfect femme fatale who is hugely attractive yet very untrustworthy. It's also fascinating how Cora is always dressed entirely in white except for three scenes when she is dressed entirely in black- surely this indicates a woman who seems perfect and sweet to the outside world but in reality is anything but.
It takes a while for the film to get going but once plans arise for the murder it's suddenly hugely engaging. There are some great court scenes with one of cinema's greatest lawyers, Arthur Keats (Hume Cronyn). The script here is really well written as Keats casually manipulates everyone until he essentially gets both characters off scot-free. He may be the sort of lawyer that gets you off but your life is in such a state afterwards it hardly seems worth it.
The film is comparable to Double Indemnity, also based on a novel by the author James M. Cain and with similar plot ideas. This is a much more polished production though perhaps doesn't quite have the same level of sleaze.
An excellent example of film noir, a genre I have increasingly come to hugely enjoy.
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