Rent Out of the Past (1947)

A trenchcoat of a film. - Out of the Past review by RhysH

It is probably de rigueur to state that this is film noir and it is one of the films that sets the standard and to some extent lays out the rules of the genre. This is the film that made Robert Mitchum, maybe the word wasn't in use, in this context, in 1947 but he is the epitome of "cool". His facial expression never changes whether his life is in danger or he is about to kiss the femme fatale and his vocal register remains on one level. It is a masterclass in non-acting acting. Jane Greer's performance is also understated, it exudes eroticism without even trying. The plot is complicated but following it is not necessary to enjoy the film, the dialogue by Daniel Mainwaring (aka novelist Geoffrey Holmes) crackles along with some great exchanges. At one point, I forget the details, he says to her something like "you're quite small" and she replies "I'm bigger than Napoleon." Great stuff.

Baby, I Don't Care. - Out of the Past review by Steve

From the initial wave of film noir, this is an American cinema classic. Robert Mitchum runs a garage in rural California when his past catches up with him by chance. He used to be a laconic private detective who was hired by a tough racketeer (Kirk Douglas) to bring back the dangerous moll (Jane Greer) who turned a gun on the him and escaped down to Mexico with $40000.

The gumshoe catches up with her in a bar in Acapulco. But rather than turn her in, gets romantically entangled. Which ends in murder. Years later the gangster plans a complicated revenge... Mitchum and Greer are sensational together. They are noir legends. She, as Kathie Moffat, is the ultimate femme fatale.

It's a complex yet engaging narrative. But it's the visual imagery and the gorgeous noir photography (Nicholas Musuraca) that stays in the memory and creates a profound aura of fatalism. The lovers kiss among the fishing nets on a beach, both operating an alias. Mitchum sitting in a cantina under a big neon sign, thinking he is the trap, when really, it's her. 

The dark cynicism of the film allows in no light. Nothing can end well. The script is dark noir poetry. The usual genre pessimism is expressed so exquisitely, especially by Mitchum and Greer in the casino as he watches her lose at roulette:

 "That's not the way to win.  

Is there a way to win?

There's a way to lose more slowly..."