First of all, this movie is colorised, and Cinema Paradiso has no warning about this.
Second, the movie would be bad even in the original black and white. There is pretense of suspense buildup, pretense of romance, pretence of everything.
Third, the movie, because of its lack of anything more substantial, relies very heavily on the local Mexican folklore which is caricatured in very bad taste.
Not so much a film noir as a road movie with fights. Some great dialogue between Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer in which her character (Jan) is given as many cutting lines as his (Duke). She also handles a car at speed as well as him, much to Duke's male chagrin.
William Bendix gives some great Bendix scowls that just stay clear of the comic.
The Mexican setting is good to look at but the Mexican characters are rather stereotyped. If you are an American detective all you have to do is shout at everybody and they are bound to understand!
Why did they colour it?As a film noir it should have stayed B&W.No scenery so colour does doesnt add anything.THis is basically a road film,no real plot,simple story but that said I enjoyed it mainly due to the interplay banter between Mitchum & Greer.Mitchum had just come out of Jail but the Mexicans kept offering him marijuana! Noway as good as their previous liason (Out of the past) but worth watching.