The script of this film is one of the best "noir" efforts ever penned, right up there with Maltese Falcon. Van Heflin's engaging performance proves what great potential he had to be one of the biggies. His portrayal of the drifting, yet honest, gambler outshines by far even Douglas' complex performance as the corrupt, yet troubled, district attorney. Stanwyck's adds another crackerjack performance as the woman in the middle, and Lizbeth Scott rounds out the cast with an understated winning performance. The story is multilayered and truths reveal themselves slowly though the pace moves briskly. Like most noir, heavy on the moral ambiguity, but not to the point of pointlessness. Highly recommended.
Review of The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
