The Letter
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Movie Reviews of The Letter
Movie Review: Outside The Letter of The Law
Summary: 5 Stars
Movie: ***** DVD Transfer: ***1/2 Extras: *****
"The Letter" is one of Bette Davis' finest films from her heyday at Warner Brothers, a sharply written, sumptuously produced, brilliantly directed, hauntingly scored, and exquisitely photographed melodrama that provided the actress with yet another acting plum. Indeed, Davis enters the film with a Bang! - six of them, in fact, as she dramatically empties a revolver into the body of a man outside her Malayan bungalow. Claiming that her victim was attempting to force his unwelcome attentions on her, the plucky Davis appears to have provided her attorney with an open-and-shut case of murder in self-defense ... until it becomes known that there exists a certain letter written to the victim, by Davis, on the day of the murder. Is there more to the story that Davis isn't telling?
Davis' Oscar-nominated performance is nothing short of a tour-de-force; she's mesmerizingly restrained throughout, and completely in control of every scene. Herbert Marshall effectively underplays the role of her loyal, supportive husband, and James Stephenson (also an Oscar nominee) is marvelous as Davis' astute lawyer. Oustanding work is also offered by Gale Sondergaard as the stoic widow of Davis' victim; aside from a few short sentences spoken in a foreign tongue, the actress delivers her entire performance through a series of beautifully rendered facial expressions. Her scenes with Davis are among the film's most highly dramatic and crackle with intensity.
The DVD transfer of "The Letter" is of generally commendable quality, marred only by some excessive graininess during one scene involving a sequence of close-ups, and a few seconds of distortion that caused a thin blue line of light to appear at the bottom of the picture. The discs extras include two different radio adaptations of the story, both starring Davis and Marshall; the Original Theatrical Trailer; and most interesting of all, an alternate ending sequence that omits a crucial scene between Davis and Marshall ... including Davis' most famous line in the entire script! (Here's tangible proof of how important editing is to the filmmaking process.) Overall, "The Letter" is a bona fide classic, and a sterling example of the studio system at its best. This DVD presentation is most enthusiastically recommended.
Movie Review: "I'm still in love with the man I killed!"
Summary: 5 Stars
The Letter is symbolic of absolutely terrific example of 1940's Hollywood filmmaking. With its universal themes of colonialism and the oftentimes unscrupulous and exploitative rule of the British in Singapore, the film also works as a diabolically delectable melodrama.
Bette Davis stars as Leslie, the unscrupulous and rapaciously amoral wife of Robert Crosbie (Herbert Marshall), owner of a Malaysian rubber plantation. As the film begins, shots ring out and a wounded man, Geoffrey Hammond (David Newell) staggers from Leslie and Robert's bungalow. Leslie coldly and calculatingly follows him, pumping the remaining bullets into his body.
She later tells Robert that she shot Geoffrey, because he was drunk and tried to make love to her. Robert believes her story and hires respected lawyer Howard Joyce (James Stephenson) to defend her. But then a letter surfaces in which it is revealed that Leslie had invited Geoffrey to the plantation on the night of his murder.
When Howard confronts her with the letter, Leslie is at first hesitant to tell him the truth, but later admits that she did write it. The letter is damning evidence for the defense because it implies that she and Geoffrey were lovers. Howard, nevertheless, agrees to continue defending her.
Meanwhile, the letter becomes the object of a $10,000 blackmail scheme from Geoffrey's widow Mrs. Hammond (Gale Sondergaard). Leslie and Howard - against his better judgment - plot to get the letter back by paying Mrs. Hammond the large some of money.
The money however, must come out of Robert's accounts, and Leslie just can't afford to have her naive and devoted husband find out about her surreptitious and clandestine affair.
Davis is absolutely devilish in the role of Louise. Complete with a clipped British accent, and a stylishly debonair wardrobe, she waltzes through the move, weaving a web of lies and deceit in her wake.
When Leslie finds out that the letter exists, and that it threatens to unravel her entire well laid plans and lay bare her genuine passion for the man that she's killed, she becomes absolutely desperate to cover up her tracks.
This is a mesmerizing and unsympathetic performance by Davis; she's so cleverly fiendish and stylishly sinister that you hate her but at the same time also love her for her unabashed audacity.
Beautifully realized, The Letter remains a fitting testament to classic film noir; it's a superbly crafted film, showing how one woman can use all her feminine wiles to get her own way, weaving a profoundly disquieting odyssey to vindicate murder. Mike Leonard June 05.
Movie Review: Unforgettable!
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Letter" is one of the great mood films ever made. Many praises have gone deservedly to the cast and to the director, but certainly the cinematography and the sound contribute significantly to the success of the film. Without any special computer effects, the camera makes the viewer feel the stifling heat of pre-war British Maylay and perceive the ambiguous emotions of the characters, cast into patterned shadow as the white-hot moon penetrates the bamboo blinds. When the barrister (James Stephenson) takes Leslie (Bette Davis) to purchase the incriminating letter from the malevolent widow (Gail Sondergaard), the uncanny wind-bells seem to have been conjured up from the opium pipe that is being smoked by one of the blackmailers.
Actually, I prefer the alternative ending, which is less melodramatic. It is also the one I recall seeing as a child. The dropped lace-work, the moon slipping behind the clouds and the shadowed hand drawing the glinting dagger are vivid images that have remained etched on my memory for longer than I care to remember.
Movie Review: BUYER BEWARE. Warners delivers... a commercial.
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought "The Letter" expecting to thoroughly enjoy the experience of the movie. Instead, upon inserting the disc, it automatically began playing a trailer for that misbegotten Leonardo DiCraprio epic, "The Aviator." Talk about ruining the mood. If I recall correctly, I believe I was able to stop the trailer and go to the disc menu, which in my view is what should have appeared on the screen in the first place. But I really resented this "in your face" trailer being forced on me to begin with. And I think it's galling to know that every time I wish to watch the movie in the future, I'll have to either put up with this annoying commericial or take special steps to avoid seeing it. Seriously, what arrogance. What was Warners thinking? The whole point of being in the entertainment business is to give the customer what he wants, so he'll keep coming back for more. Instead, they've made me think twice before making future purchases. And in fact, I haven't bought any Warner products since then. They really turned me off.
The movie itself is a fairly good crime drama with a fine performance by Bette Davis. But I'm giving this DVD the lowest possible rating just as my small protest against the concept of noisy, unwanted, in-your-face trailers being forced upon the customer.
Please note, I have no objection to trailers being on the disc as menu-accessed special features. It's the unwanted, force-fed intrusion into my viewing experience that I find objectionable. Yes, Warners, I'm one of those inconvenient people who actually believes it's the viewer, not the studio, who should make the decision about what to watch and what not to watch. Warners usually does so much right in their classic movie presentations, it's really disheartening that they got this one so wrong. And it worries me that this might be the start of another unwanted trend (snappers, anyone?).
So if you like classic movies, and feel you absolutely cannot live without this one, go ahead and buy it (or better yet, rent it). Just be aware that Warners has decided to insult you by forcing you to watch an annoying commerical every time you want to see this movie.
Oh, by the way, Warners, I never did go out and see "The Aviator." Look's like I'm not alone.
Movie Review: wow.. what a movie
Summary: 5 Stars
bueno .. la primera vez que vi the letter.. me sorprendio mucho la direccion.. cada detalle fue mostrado a la perfeccion.. si bien no tuvo el final de la obra en la cual es basada... me impresiono muchisimo ..la actuacion de Bette Davis.,.. como la Sra Crosbie... su mirada implacable...sus gestos..su voz.. todo es fascinante en ella.. el inicio espectacular.. y un final al estilo hollywood... hay que darle merito al reparto a Gale Sodergaard... Herbert Marshall, etc..
Buena pelicula...entretenida..con un toque histrionico excepcional
saludos