When you think of ‘Film Noir’, you think of classics such as ‘The Third Man‘, ‘Double Indemnity‘, or more recent ones (neo-noir) like ‘Chinatown‘. Big names like Orson Welles (‘The Lady from Shanghai‘, ‘The Third Man’, ‘Touch of Evil‘)and Humphry Bogart (‘The Big Sleep‘, ‘The Maltese Falcon‘, ‘Dark Passage‘) symbolize the golden era of ‘film noir’ movies in Hollywood that lasted between 1940-1960. Film noir – literally meaning ‘dark movies’ in French – are characterized by dark themes and dark visuals. Several of these films were based on crime fiction of the 1930s and typically featured a private eye and a femme fatale, especially in the classic era. Although Alfred Hitchcock was famous for some of the greatest suspense films of all time (‘Psycho‘, ‘Rear Window‘, ‘North by Northwest‘) some of his earlier movies were noir films (‘Notorious‘). Loosely speaking, noir films distinguish themselves from their suspense counterparts by making their protagonists people of questionable morals whose choices lead them on a darker path with potentially no return. The overall mood is darker, tense and sensual, typically set by the repartee between its main characters.
‘Out of the Past’ features a bit of a complex plot (which was common to the genre and era) that can be roughly divided into two parts. In the first part, the protagonist Jeff Bailey is leading a low profile life near Lake Tahoe in California with his girlfriend Ann. He still is the talk of the town – being somewhat of an enigma as his past is shrouded in mystery. But when a visitor from his past seeks him out and invites Jeff over to meet his boss Whit, Jeff feels the need to come clean. In a long flashback, he narrates his past life to Ann. He used to be a detective when he was hired by one Whit Sterling(casino owner), to find his girlfriend Kathy Moffat who’s run away with $40,000 of his fortune. Jeff hunts Kathy down in a small Mexican town, however, he is captivated by her beauty. To Jeff, she is the damsel in distress on the run and he vows to protect her from Whit. They both plan to swindle Whit and run away. But their plans go awry when Jeff’s business partner Fisher, sees them together. Kathy ends up killing Fisher in the ensuing fight that breaks out and runs away alone leaving Jeff behind who’s now aware of the fact that she had actually stolen the money.
Jeff realizes his mistake and seemingly having moved on from Kathy, he relocates to a small town on the West Coast in order to avoid Whit and his cronies. But fate has something else in store and Whit’s right hand man Stefanos finds out about Jeff leading us back to the present. Here’s where the second part of the movie begins. Jeff meets Whit again, and is surprised to see Kathy there. Whit wants Jeff to repay his earlier debt by stealing the evidence of tax fraud from a San Francisco based lawyer who has been blackmailing him. Jeff visits the lawyer, but suspects a trap. Soon enough, the lawyer ends up dead and Jeff realizes that he is being framed. When Jeff confronts Kathy, she admits that she has pinned Fisher’s murder on him as well when she came back to Whit. So Jeff is now wanted for not one but two murders that he didn’t commit.
What follows is a complex game of deception, desire and murder that hurtles towards the climax , taking with it everyone involved. Without giving it away, I can say that the final scene is a testament to the labyrinthine nature of the movie where we aren’t exactly sure of what to believe.
Comments:
‘Out of the Past’ is a classic example of a noir film incorporating all its clichés. It features a private investigator (Jeff Bailey), a femme fatale (Kathy Moffat) and a dark theme of deceit and murder. The use of light and shadows is excellent throughout the movie and it adds to the mood. Dense cigarette smoke shrouding the characters’ faces adds an element of mystery. And finally there’s a long flashback with a voiceover. Similar flashback was used effectively in ‘Double Indemnity’ – another noir classic.
Jeff Bailey is the protagonist of the movie. He’s made mistakes in his past and we like to believe he has learned from it and moved on. He seems to have it all now – a good settled business with a steady loving girlfriend who is loyal to him. Even when Kathy turns up out of the past at his doorsteps , he seems alert to the danger that always seems to be lurking around the corner with Kathy. On the other hand, Kathy plays the role of a seductress to perfection. She can melt men’s hearts and make them do crazy things for her – from Whit to Jeff. But with the flick of a wand, she can cast herself as a vulnerable woman whose hand seems to be forced by the men around her. She is a master manipulator and it’s clear that getting involved in her is like playing with fire. Jeff has tried to redeem his life by running away from the past. But can he escape the temptation and carve out a life with Ann or does he succumb to Kathy’s charms? It all leads to a thrilling finish where there’s no redemption for everyone – whether innocent or not.
Cast and Crew:
Not many contemporary readers may be familiar with the name RKO, but it was a powerhouse studio as far as film noir was concerned. They were able to assemble a talented crew in making this relatively big-budget movie that started slowly after its release, but ultimately won critical acclaim and has aged well over the years garnering a growing fan base.
The role of Jeff Bailey is performed by Robert Mitchum who, although not a complete unknown, was the third choice after Humphry Bogart and Dick Powell. But his sleepy-eyed and cynical portrayal of the protagonist won over the audience and made him a big star. Jane Greer is superb in her portrayal of Kathy Moffat. She switches effortlessly from being a seductress in one scene to a helpless victim in the next to a cold-hearted manipulator in yet another. Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas’ father, plays Whit. It is early in his career when he was playing only villainous roles – before becoming a star in his own right and starring in powerful roles in films such as ‘Paths of Glory’.
The movie contains some of the sharpest and wittiest dialogue in a film – especially Jeff’s lines which perfectly convey his cynicism. The credit goes to Geoffrey Homes, who wrote the final draft of the films script – coincidentally based on his own original novel “Build my gallows high”. The director of this movie is Jacques Tourneur – well known for another RKO horror movie – ‘Cat People‘. The cameraman for both ‘The Cat People’ and ‘Out of the Past’ is Nick Musuraca – as mentioned earlier, it is his expertise behind the lens and the resultant play of light and shadow sets the tone of the film. Especially notice the scene showing the rain-drenched night in Mexico or the whole scene when Jeff’s partner Fisher catches Jeff and Kathy or how Jeff hides in and out of shadows before confronting Kathy in a San Francisco apartment.
Virginia Huston as Ann Miller and Ronda Fleming as Meta Carson (Whit’s associate in San Francisco) round off the other lead cast.
Final Thoughts:
‘Out of the Past’ checks all the boxes of a classic noir film. Even if you don’t follow all the threads of this complex plot upon the first viewing, it’s a film not to be missed and one of the finest examples of the genre. May need repeat viewings.
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