A Pacific coast juke joint is the setting for this melodramatic tale of attempted suicide, surprise love, rape and revenge. Pretty surprising stuff for Hollywood during the war years. The French New Wave, still in its infant stages, is more than obvious in this superb drama of near tragedy. Jean Gabin is an unforgettable hero who takes in the suicidal Ida Lupino after she shocks nighttime beach goers by a full-dressed late night swim. Furious at first for being saved, Lupino isn't angry for long and romance blossoms. But a jealous drunken pal of Gabin's (an unforgettable Thomas Mitchell) is out of control when it comes to his lust for the luscious Lupino and after the lovebirds head to the alter, their happiness is instantly threatened.
Gorgeously photographed, this very literary melodrama will grab you from the get-go, being very similar to another Archie Mayo directed drama, "The Petrified Forest" where tragic characters faced impending doom and accepted it. The pacing never lets the grip go. Mitchell is a far cry from his hot-tempered patriarch in "Gone With the Wind", yet shows multi dimensions as the nasty villain while Claude Rains offers sage wisdom in a smaller but vital role. Characters come in and out at an amazing speed but they all leave a mark.
Lupino is at first dark and mysterious then allows her loveliness to shine through without losing her characterization. Gabin isn't without faults as a tough guy who still has the capability to love but never loses his masculinity. The script moves effortlessly from dark social commentary to romance without losing its mood, and the result is a motion picture definitely ahead of its time that, like great art, simply improves with age. The mesmerizing confrontation between good and evil after tragedy strikes is a cinematic moment that will live in your mind forever.
Gorgeously photographed, this very literary melodrama will grab you from the get-go, being very similar to another Archie Mayo directed drama, "The Petrified Forest" where tragic characters faced impending doom and accepted it. The pacing never lets the grip go. Mitchell is a far cry from his hot-tempered patriarch in "Gone With the Wind", yet shows multi dimensions as the nasty villain while Claude Rains offers sage wisdom in a smaller but vital role. Characters come in and out at an amazing speed but they all leave a mark.
Lupino is at first dark and mysterious then allows her loveliness to shine through without losing her characterization. Gabin isn't without faults as a tough guy who still has the capability to love but never loses his masculinity. The script moves effortlessly from dark social commentary to romance without losing its mood, and the result is a motion picture definitely ahead of its time that, like great art, simply improves with age. The mesmerizing confrontation between good and evil after tragedy strikes is a cinematic moment that will live in your mind forever.