"Build my gallows high, baby!"
Cineastes have long regarded Out of the Past (1947) as a seminal film noir. Jacques Tourneur's classy show is enjoyably immersive despite its rougher edges.Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) is a retired detective hiding out in California with his girlfriend Ann (Virginia Huston). He recalls a botched case involving crooked businessman Whit (Kirk Douglas) and his unfaithful girlfriend Kathie (Jane Greer) which resulted in a romance and the death of Jeff's partner Jack (Steve Brodie). Now Kathie returns to his life with blackmail from Whit, resulting in unsolvable trouble.
Working from Daniel Manwaring's novel, Tourneur crafts an absorbing story. The movie shifts between Nicholas Musuraca's black-and-white compositions, all brooding shadows and ominous cigarette smoke, and expansive outdoor scenes alternating romance and violence. Tourneur laces the narrative with creative, stylized killing: a brawl between Jeff and Jack filmed in silhouette with Kathie watching in sensual anticipation, or an assassin dispatched with a fishing hook.
Out of the Past has the bleakness, corruption and clipped dialog expected from a noir, but it's differentiated by a romantic streak. As Sam Spade felt compelled to avenge his partner despite everything, Jeff's ensnared by Kathie, who alternates between idyllic lover and deceitful femme, depending on the scene and Jeff's perspective. It's an attachment veering between sweet and suicidal, trapping Jeff in a death wish that's more appealing than mundanity.
The most common critique of Out of the Past is that its storyline grows somewhat muddled in its final half-hour. Whit's plotting seems absurdly convoluted and the San Francisco segments move quickly, especially scenes involving Meta (Rhonda Fleming), a deceitful secretary who flits fitfully through the narrative and is even impersonated by another character. But Tourneur's presentation overcomes any reservations.
Robert Mitchum gives one of his best characterizations, a laconic antihero more apt to lose his life than his temper. His suave trench coat and fatalistic deliveries defined Mitchum's persona for decades. Jane Greer is an alluring femme fatale, with Kirk Douglas well-cast as a leering bad guy. Rhonda Fleming has a relatively disposable role, though Virginia Huston makes an appealing "nice girl" contrast. Dickie Moore has a clever role as Jeff's deaf-mute assistant.
Out of the Past hits all the right buttons, presenting a compelling picture of cinematic cool.
