Overall this was a bit of a dissapointment coming from the director of Metropolis, M, Fury, and You Only Live Once. The film does have its moments. The moments of explosive violence are certainly unsettling, as is watching Ford's character sink slowly deeper into obsession. The first scene and the big shootout are both remarkable, although brief. But for the most part, Lang fails to create any genuine tension. Too well-lit for noir, the film at times feels almost stagey, something I would never say about any other Lang film that I've seen.
In fact, the whole film feels demoralized, as if Lang is simply not trying. Perhaps the weakness of the material or the meddling of the studios simply wore him down, but he also fails to elicit any good performances, even from Gloria Grahame and Lee Marvin.
Anyway, it's a decent genre film, worth watching if it's on TV, but there are much better Lang films and noirs out there.
In fact, the whole film feels demoralized, as if Lang is simply not trying. Perhaps the weakness of the material or the meddling of the studios simply wore him down, but he also fails to elicit any good performances, even from Gloria Grahame and Lee Marvin.
Anyway, it's a decent genre film, worth watching if it's on TV, but there are much better Lang films and noirs out there.