I must say I had high hopes of this film, having seen Novello in "The Lodger" and having heard so much in praise of him, but I'm afraid it did not work for me. My copy is of fair quality, which does not help, and the score does not relate directly to the action, which is even worse. I found that the story seemed to slow to a crawl in the ballroom scenes, though they are beautifully shot and include some POV shots as the swing goes back and forth. Zelie's revenge is well carried out and Boucheron suffers all manner of indignity, but with humility and resignation, but the ending is unsatisfactory and a little abrupt. One final complaint; Novello was the darling of the matinée crowd and, when properly photographed, a handsome chap, but in this movie, I felt that the camera had fallen out with him and the result is rather an average looking guy who cannot match the beautiful women who surround him. Still, if I get the chance, I will watch "The Rat."
Review of The Triumph of the Rat
