Rent Dark Passage (1947)

Refreshingly odd - Dark Passage review by LC

The plot of this film noir thriller is quite hard to take at times, with a few wildly unlikely moments and coincidences. However, it's redeemed by some inventive direction - particularly the first half, where everything is either shot from the point of view of Bogart's character, or so that his face isn't shown (he does eventually appear on camera, but it takes so long, I was beginning to wonder if the producers had decided to save money by just hiring Bogart for a voice-over and getting a stand-in for the physical scenes). The hero's quest to clear his name also doesn't play out in quite the way you might expect, leaving this a slightly odd but interestingly different film.

'Frisco Noir. - Dark Passage review by Steve

Adaptation of David Goodis' pulp classic. Delmer Daves sticks faithfully to its plot and themes: an ordinary joe gets banged up for the murder of his wife. But he wasn't guilty. When he busts out he gets his face fixed and ends up being played by Humphrey Bogart. Working to clear his name he relies on the kindness of strangers, especially the do-gooder socialite played by Lauren Bacall.

Goodis was a fatalistic poet of the unlucky schmuck. That doesn't sound like a Bogart and Bacall vehicle but Daves works hard to keep the story realistic. Bogart is hapless and scared and not a hero. We don't actually see his face for the first hour; the action is shot from his point of view. After Bogart removes the bandages, his vanity-free performance is excellent.

Bacall dresses down but is far too glamorous. There are moments when the love story might have been dialled back but there is still a powerful feeling of despair. This is Goodis' nocturnal city, inhabited by the lonely taxi driver, the unemployed musician, the discredited but altruistic doctor. And the perjured busybody and the cold blooded, menacing blackmailer. The convict's fate is in their hands.

During the hour of the film shot through Bogart's eyes, the other characters stare into the camera's gaze. Of course, this had been done before but Dark Passage does it better; it magnifies the criminal's fear of scrutiny. It has an expressionistic quality. The studio was furious that audiences only saw their big star for the last 40 minutes! But they did get an unusual, intelligent film noir.