Out of the Past
|
List Price: Our Price: $14.36 You Save: $5.62 (28%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Out of the Past
Movie Review: Seamless and Smoldering
Summary: 5 Stars
Along with Billy Wilder's 1944 classic "Double Indemnity," Jacques Tourneur's "Out of the Past" stands as the dark cinema's most perfect masterpiece of murder and betrayal deceptively packaged in the form of ethereal beauty.
When Warner Bros. released their "Film Noir" boxed set this past summer, Robert Mitchum's bruiser's jowl graced the cover as the exemplar of this uniquely American movie genre: Dark tales of deception, tattered dreams, seduction and ultimate doom painted in shades of pitch black, slivers of shimmering white, and silvery swaths of grey.
Photographed with loving care by Nicholas Musaraca, "Out of the Past" follow's Mitchum's former private-eye Jeff Markham, to his new, prosaic, life hiding out in a resort town along Mono Lake in the Sierras. Now pumping gas instead of lead, he's changed his name and wants nothing more than to marry Ann, a girl next door played with innocent candor by Virginia Huston.
One day, though, a menacing figure (Paul Valentine) from Markham's past drives into town and pulls him back out of his idyllic present into his forsaken past.
Through flashbacks, Jeff narrates his seedy past to Ann. We are introduced to the forces who control Jeff, gangster Whit Sterling (the icily manipulative Kirk Douglas) and Kathie Moffat, a femme fatale Douglas hires Mitchum to track down.
Jane Greer is simply ravishing as Kathie, a girl who plays her cards and her .38 close to her vest. She's a mystery to Markham, and once they meet, the chemistry is immediate and all-consuming. Disguised as an angel of deliverance, she leads Markham towards his inevitable demise.
Mitchum plays his tough guy role to a perfect T, but that is what makes this movie so simultaneously satisfying and perplexing: For, no matter how he slugs his way out of tight spots, no matter how he rattles off the haughty smooth talk of a man in charge, Markham can't shake his destiny as fall guy pushed around by the twin forces of power and fate like a pawn on a rigged chessboard.
What is it that makes "Out of the Past" such a riveting motion picture? The answer is simple: Everything.
Daniel Mainwaring's (writing as Geoffrey Homes) screenplay strikes a perfect balance of suspense, humor, crosses and double-crosses and slick, wisecracking dialogue. He and uncredited co-writer James M. Cain (author of the immortal pulp trilogy "The Postman Always Rings Twice," "Double Indemnity" and "Mildred Pierce") sprinkled the cast of players with memorable bit characters like nudnik Mexican tour guide Jose Rodriguez, toothpick chewing cabbie Petey and Kathie's former maid, Eunice, an ebony beauty who will always be remembered for weighing 131 pounds, *exactly*.
Musaraca's cinematography is simply stunning, and his camera lens rests ever so lovingly on Greer and fellow redhead Rhonda Fleming, his lighting enveloping them in a satiny, radiant sheen. Filming night for night, he uses arc lamps, endless corridors, flickering fireplace embers and looming auto headlamps to paint tragic hero Mitchum into a corner, trapping him with deep, forboding shadows.
It's also in editor Samuel Beetley's fluid montage which assembles Musaraca's film so seamlessly that it hardly appears edited at all.
Roy Webb's flexible scoring of taking his leitmotif theme through every conceivable music form -- lush Tchaikovsky Romantic, swing jazz, boogie woogie, dark, intoning Wagnerian -- is deftly conducted by C. Bakaleinikoff and expertly woven into the soundtrack by sound editor Clem Portman.
Unlike so many of today's movies, which loudly boast Dolby 5.1 surround and DTS digital sound, you can actually hear every line of dialogue, clearly delivered. While this is mostly due to Portman's competent sound mix, it's also because actors back then used projection and intonation.
"Out of the Past" is a movie that could have only been made during the glory days of Hollywood's studio system, by a crew that worked like a well-oiled machine.
When you hear the old line "they don't make 'em like that anymore," you'll appreciate the fact that they rarely made pictures so flawless as "Out of the Past" even back then.
Movie Review: Robert Mitchum: Baby I Don't Care
Summary: 5 Stars
That's the title of Lee Server's wonderful biography of Mitchum, and it may well be the most memorable of a wealth of unforgettable lines in this superbly crafted film.
The best and most definitive noir ever, substantially eclipsing even "Night and the City."
Jane Greer is one of the most beautiful, sultry, and alluring femme fatales to ever grace the screen, as well as a marvelous actress, and Howard Hughes should never be forgiven for depriving us of her for 5 years when he blackballed her from the industry after she resisted his advances.
[A classic example of this travesty is another Mitchum vehicle, "Where Danger Lives," which had a part ready made for Greer that instead went to Hughes' then recent protege, Faith Domergue, whose "acting" could have ruined a school play.]
Mitchum? What can you say? This is the role which defined his personna for the rest of his career. Trenchcoated, laconic, cynical, sarcastic, fatalistic, and certain of his own doom, he seems to have resigned himself to the fact that, no matter what he does, he can't escape the destiny which awaits him.
He's a clever enough fellow, and he really tries to do the right thing, but he just can't extricate himself from the net which has enveloped him ever since his first gaze upon Kathie Moffat (Greer).
The dialogue is very stylized but well worth quoting and re-quoting.
For example,an urbane hood, Joe Stefanos (Paul Valentine, the real life husband of Lili St. Cyr), walks into a downtown cafe in a small, pastoral village and starts to ask the girl behind the counter: "Tell me something. . . ."
Before he can finish, she says, "You don't look like I could."
That's where it begins.
The first half of the film, all told in flashback, is far more engaging than the second, as we watch Mitchum's "Jeff" become more and more ensnared in the web spun by the gorgeous but sociopathic Kathie.
She even describes herself as "No good," a characterization richly warranted and heartily concurred in by Mitchum.
He waits all evening for her in a bar simply because she had mentioned, "I SOMETIMES go there." As he downs shot after shot of Bourbon, he muses to us: "How big a chump can you be? I was beginning to find out."
This film also contains what may well be THE most romantic scene in cinematic history (with all due respect to Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr):
Jeff and Kathie sitting on an Acapulco beach at night, the wind blowing in her hair, as she (lying, as usual) beseeches Jeff:
"I didn't steal Whit's $40,000. Won't you believe me?"
To which Mitchum, eyes even droopier than usual, replies: "Baby, I don't care."
Even though he eventually discovers what she is and tells her so ["Get out. I have to sleep in this room;" "You're like a leaf that the wind blows from gutter to gutter"], one is left with the distinct impression that Jeff never truly escapes her spell.
A marvelous cast, including Steve Brodie ("Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye") as Jeff's doublecrossing ex-partner and John Kellogg ("The Enforcer") as of one of Whit's (Kirk Douglas') henchmen.
The film ends with Dickie Moore [Jeff's deaf mute friend and assistant) telling Jeff's "nice" girlfriend, Ann (Virginia Huston), that Jeff actually loved Kathie to the end.
Make of that what you will: Was he lying in order to convince Ann to move on with her life?
Or was he simply telling the truth that he understood better than Mitchum himself did?
Maybe, this movie was best described during its preview on TNT:
"It started out as a simple job. But it turned into a game of cross and double cross. Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas, and Jane Greer play a dangerous game of deceit in 'Out of the Past.'"
If one were marooned on an island with only 5 DVD's to watch over and over, this should definitely be one of them.
Movie Review: Witty, very entertaining film noir
Summary: 5 Stars
If the splashy technicolor MGM musicals of the old Hollywood studio system represented the best of America, the B&W, often low-budget film noirs represented the country's dark underbelly. No one in a film noir is ever up to any good. Watching these dark souls double-cross and one-up each other is enormously entertaining.
"Out of the Past" is one of the most famous of its genre, largely because of the pitch-perfect casting and witty script. Robert Mitchum stars as Jeff Bailey, a gas station owner and former P.I. The movie begins with him telling his fiance Ann (Virginia Huston) about his past. Many years ago, he was hired by a gangster named Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas) to track down Sterling's girlfriend, Kathie (Jane Greer). Kathie had shot Whit, and taken off with 40k to boot. Jeff tracks down Kathie in Mexico, but before long she seduces Jeff. Then she double crosses him, in effect framing him for a murder. Despite the knowledge that Kathie is immoral and treacherous, Jeff cannot get Kathie out of his system. He returns to Whit for a new "assignment", perhaps, subconsciously, to see Kathie again. There's more double-crossing and more murders, until finally Jeff says to Kathie, "We deserve each other."
This was one of Kirk Douglas's first films and he's very memorable as Whit. He plays Whit as rather friendly, bubbly, and seemingly sincere, yet undeniably sinister. i love how he subtly threatens Jeff: "You're on. I fire people, but nobody quits me. You started this and you'll end it." Whit's motives are rather ambiguous. Why does he want Kathie back so badly, when Kathie shot him and stole from him? A scene late in the movie suggests that Whit is fond of torture. Jane Greer's Kathie is, like all femme fatales, beautiful and alluring, with a husky voice. But Greer also gives Kathie a sympathetic personality, despite the fact that Kathie is a double-crossing murderer, liar, and thief. After all, despite her treachery, she claims she did it all so Jeff and her could return to Mexico. She murders and frames Jeff for these murders so she can hang onto him. Twisted, but then again in a film noir everyone is twisted. She is, as Jeff says, "a leaf blown from one gutter to another." Robert Mitchum as Jeff is also extremely memorable. His deep laconic voice and sleepy eyelids give Jeff a world-weary, cynical persona. Yet Jeff has a quick wit and a self-awareness that makes him a compelling hero. I love when Kathie brags, "See, you've only me to make deals with now?" and he responds, "Build my gallows high, baby." Or after Kathie asks him, "Aren't you going to feel sorry for me" and he shoots back, "I'm not going to try." Jeff is the movie's "everyman," but he also is way too willing to jump headfirst into the sick world of Whit and Kathie.
This film noir is particularly appealing in a way because of the strict Hollywood Hays code, that had many moral clauses and rules (such as a kiss could only be 3 seconds long, etc.) So the point of these movies was to suggest the taboo. One example is the way Jeff and Whit smoke. Whenever they meet, both of them start to chain-smoke, in a subtle kind of one-upmanship. Today, these characters might give each other the finger or say, "Up yours a__hole." But Wilt and Jeff just nonchalantly blow puffs of smoke into each other's faces. Another example is a scene with Jeff and Kathie. They kiss, and then the camera cuts away to a lamp being knocked onto the floor and the room darkening. It doesn't take much imagination to get the picture.
So, this is highly recommended. Witty, sick, sinister, entertaining, "Out of the Past" is exactly like Whit, Jeff, and Kathie.
Movie Review: Out of the Past
Summary: 5 Stars
Out of the Past is classic film-noir. Why this film hasn't garnered more acclaim & fame I don't know. It's not quite an essential film but it's as close as a film can be to that distinction without garnering that claim. Jacques Tourneur, the director, helped to create the film-noir genre with this film.
Robert Mitchum portrays Jeff Bailey, an ex-private eye. He's now a gas station owner that's hiding from his past. This was Mitchum's first starring role that gave him top billing. He had already appeared in over 30 films in just four short years. Many of these films he was barely noticeable & hadn't gotten great reviews as an actor. Out of the Past would change his whole future as a leading man.
In contrast, Kirk Douglas (Whit Sterling), was only appearing in his third film. Douglas was already making ripples & would reach star status in a shorter journey than Mitchum.
Jane Greer (Kathie Moffett) was only appearing in her eighth film & would never have a role this good in her short career.
As in most films in the film-noir genre there's not really a good guy. The only way you can call Bailey the good guy is to compare him to Kathie & Whit, in this context Bailey IS the good guy. Bailey is trying to escape his past but circumstances prevent this. Joe Stefanos (Paul Valentine) has, by accident, discovered the whereabouts of Bailey. Stefanos is a henchman for Whit who has an old score to settle with Bailey. In flashback we learn that Sterling had once hired Bailey to find Kathie who was Sterling's girl & had stolen $40,000 in cash from him. Bailey finds her in Acapulco but instead of returning her he falls for her. If ever there was a black widow Kathie is it; not only did she steal $40,000 but she had shot Sterling. Kathie denies she took the money but Bailey later finds a bankbook with a $40,000 deposit.
When Sterling shows up in Acapulco Bailey denies ever finding Kathie. He has double-crossed Sterling wanting to keep her for himself. Not only that but he has crossed his P.I. partner on the money payed by Sterling. All this comes back to haunt him a few short years later. Sterling wants to see Bailey & hire him again to fix something for him. Bailey goes to Lake Tahoe reluctantly knowing that no good is going to come of it.
Sterling has a tax problem that comes to seven figures. He wants Bailey to get the papers from a lawyer, Lloyd Eels (Ken Niles). Smelling a rat, Bailey questions the motives of Sterling & why he can't do it himself. Then, suddenly, Kathie reenters the picture & is once again the girlfriend of Sterling. Bailey now has to face up to the fact that Sterling knows that he had crossed him years before.
Out of the Past is full of witty dialog & innuendos. Bailey knows he's in a frameup but he feels obligated to correct the past. The problem is he's really not much better than Sterling or Kathie. The film is full of plot twists & duplicity. Not the most complicated of films yet the viewer has to pay full attention to keep up with everything. In the end everyone has to pay for their lack of virtues.
The film is in good shape as is the audio. There are subtitles & a bonus audio track that's a commentary on the film. Out of the Past is one of the best examples of film-noir & should not be missed.
Movie Review: "Out of the Past (1947) ... Robert Mitchum ... RKO Radio Pictures (2004)"
Summary: 5 Stars
RKO Radio Pictures presents "OUT OF THE PAST" (13 November 1947) (97 min/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- Jeff Bailey, small-town gas pumper, has his mysterious past catch up with him one day when he's ordered to meet with gambler Whit Sterling --- En route to the meeting, he tells girlfriend Ann his story --- Flashback: Once, Jeff was a private eye hired by Sterling to find his mistress Kathie who shot Whit and absconded with $40,000 --- He traces her to Acapulco, where the delectable Kathie makes Jeff forget all about Sterling --- Back in the present, Whit's new job for Jeff is clearly a trap, but Jeff's precautions only leave him more tightly enmeshed.
Classic example of 40's film noir with dialogue a particular standout.
Under the production staff of:
Jacques Tourneur [Director]
Daniel Mainwaring [Novel/Screenplay]
Frank Fenton [Screenwriter]
James M. Cain [Screenwriter]
Warren Duff [Producer]
Robert Sparks [Executive Producer]
Roy Webb [Original Film score]
Nicholas Musuraca [Cinematographer]
Samuel E. Beetley [Film Editor]
BIOS:
1. Jacques Tourneur [Director]
Date of Birth: 12 November 1904 - Paris, France
Date of Death: 19 December 1977 - Bergerac, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France
2. Robert Mitchum
Date of Birth: 6 August 1917 - Bridgeport, Connecticut
Date of Death: 1 July 1997 - Santa Barbara, California
3. Jane Greer
Date of Birth: 9 September 1924 - Washington, District of Columbia
Date of Death: 24 August 2001 - Los Angeles, California
4. Kirk Douglas [aka: Issur Danielovitch Demsky]
Date of Birth: 9 December 1916 - Amsterdam, New York
Date of Death: Still Living
5. Rhonda Fleming [aka: Marilyn Louis]
Date of Birth: 10 August 1923 - Hollywood, California
Date of Death: Still Living
the cast includes:
Robert Mitchum - Jeff Bailey
Jane Greer - Kathie Moffat
Kirk Douglas - Whit Sterling
Rhonda Fleming - Meta Carson
Richard Webb - Jim
Steve Brodie - Jack Fisher
Virginia Huston - Ann Miller
Paul Valentine - Joe Stephanos
Dickie Moore - The Kid
Ken Niles - Leonard Eels
Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars
Performance: 5 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]
Total Time: 97 min on DVD ~ RKO Radio Pictures ~ (07/06/2004)