Review of Desperate

Desperate (1947)
6/10
Best when cold
17 May 2001
Conventional film noir melodrama is notable for ice black visuals and Raymond Burr's soft-spoken, hulking bad guy.

Film hurt by too-simple story, without the existential undertones that marked film noir at its best. But look of the film -- those rich shadows; creamy, sometimes violent whites; sharp camera angles and moving camera -- help a lot. Burr is a scary, almost psycho, but frighteningly low-keyed, bully boy.

Turner's print of RKO original looked great on TMC. Note how much it crams into about 75 minutes. I give it 6 out of 10.
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