I had heard tell that this film contains one of cinema’s greatest villains - a devil in preacher’s clothing - and that’s true. Robert Mitchum’s baritone voice singing gospel music is highly entertaining on its own, but it’s when his mask slips that you can feel the seeds of a new darkness being planted in American cinema, along with a new type of thriller that focuses on a captivating villain with weaponized charisma.
However, I was surprised to discover that the film also contains an equally incredible hero. It’s a beautiful secret of the film, so I’ll leave it at that.
Visually, the film is a certified “every-frame-a-painting” showpiece. Clever composition and silhouettes enhance the black and white, and it’s clear that a lot of effort went into crafting the unique sets needed to capture these images and scenes.
Thematically, it’s obvious that there is a lot going on, whether that be about parenthood, religion, or the goodness and evil of man. I could dig for a while. There’s an early scene involving an executioner that seemed pretty needless at the time, but its ideas come back around at the end very effectively.
Yet…..in the end, as much as I wanted to drop a four or five star on this thing, I don’t think it ever soared to that level, steadily flirting with awe but never quite getting there for me.
I had heard tell that this film contains one of cinema’s greatest villains - a devil in preacher’s clothing - and that’s true. Robert Mitchum’s baritone voice singing gospel music is highly entertaining on its own, but it’s when his mask slips that you can feel the seeds of a new darkness being planted in American cinema, along with a new type of thriller that focuses on a captivating villain with weaponized charisma.
However, I was surprised to discover that the film also contains an equally incredible hero. It’s a beautiful secret of the film, so I’ll leave it at that.
Visually, the film is a certified “every-frame-a-painting” showpiece. Clever composition and silhouettes enhance the black and white, and it’s clear that a lot of effort went into crafting the unique sets needed to capture these images and scenes.
Thematically, it’s obvious that there is a lot going on, whether that be about parenthood, religion, or the goodness and evil of man. I could dig for a while. There’s an early scene involving an executioner that seemed pretty needless at the time, but its ideas come back around at the end very effectively.
Yet…..in the end, as much as I wanted to drop a four or five star on this thing, I don’t think it ever soared to that level, steadily flirting with awe but never quite getting there for me.
