Phantom Lady (1944) Directed by Robert SiodmakI never get tired of it. It’s not Siodmak&rs
Phantom Lady (1944) Directed by Robert SiodmakI never get tired of it. It’s not Siodmak’s best picture, but this low-budget gem is a textbook example of an oneiric framework lending substance to an otherwise less-than-believable narrative (supplied by pulp-fiction wizard Cornell Woolrich, whose darkness and weirdness are well established, even for casual noir fans).DP Woody Bredell’s wild shots and angles are the reason we watch, not least for the legendary jazz club drum sequence, which somehow got past a panel of censors. But there are other pleasures available for keen eyes.
In the quieter moments, such as this scene here, set designer John Goodman and Bredell slyly put in place a series of visual cues that, in retrospect, we recognize as essential tropes of the noir style.
It’s a veritable essay in less than two minutes.
When our suspect takes a seat, we can already see he’s destined to wind up behind bars. Just look at all the stripes in that room and on those suits.
One detective is taking notes on a tiny pad; these literally “little” details of the suspect’s remarks mean nothing in the larger narrative, and the look on that jaded cop’s face indicates it.
Finally our boy rises to defend himself, and look who’s looming over his shoulder. Now that she’s dead, this lady is gonna be a real problem.
But even she has nothing on the phantom lady. And yeah, Ella Raines owns this picture. -- source link
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