A shiver of sharks, sensing the urgency of blood, soon devour each other in an orgy of gluttony. Orson Welles directs and stars in this violently comic noir masterpiece against the gorgeous Rita Hayworth as his counterpoint, a Circe who attempts to transform him into a vertebrate without backbone. DP Charles Lawton’s work is fantastic, from his deep focus outdoor compositions and sweating close-up, skewed high angle shots and chiaroscuro lighting, to the fractured multiplicity of the final act. His work is one of the most inspired of the entire film noir style! Inserts and close-up were ordered by the studio after Welles’ principal photography so two of the greatest cinematographers added to this masterpiece, DPs Joseph Walker and Rudolph Mate.
Welles plays the fall guy, Irishman Michael O’Hara and nails the guileless incompetence of the protagonist who is willingly led astray by the wicked Femme Fatale Rosalie Bannister (Rita Hayworth). Michael knows she’s bad news and calls himself a “big boob” yet subscribes to the newspaper anyways, so to speak. He narrates the film in retrospect, so unless this is SUNSET BOULEVARD, we expect he somehow survives the murder wrap and escapes the hot seat. But is he acquitted or still awaiting his final testament? An almost incoherent murder plot results in a farcical trial that stretches credibility but delivers absurdity and humor: defense attorney Arthur Bannister (Everett Sloane) takes the stand under the DA’s direct questioning, then cross examines himself! A surprise subpoena for Rosalie forces her to withstand the accusations of the prosecution and assure the conviction of O’Hara, her suspected lover.
The story is far-fetched and outrageous but that becomes part of the charm. The true value is in the technical compositions and direction: though Welles didn’t retain Final Cut, his surviving vision is wonderful to experience. The fast-paced overlapping dialogue adds narrative immediacy and wonderful wordplay, while the thick sweaty close-ups exude porous immorality. Of course, Rita Hayworth is shot with soft filters that add an angelic glow to her countenance, a devilish contradiction to her true nature. The cinematography includes twisting high angle vertiginous shots, and characters that are hidden in shadows that conceal their moral identity. The carriage scene at the beginning breaks editing convention with a continuous shot, panning up and down in focus, as the two strangers discover their fatal attraction. The shattering climax is a technical achievement that is as beautiful to watch as the platinum blonde antagonist.
Final Grade: (A)
