The Lady Eve (1941)

4/5

The Lady Eve starts off with a cartoon snake planting shiny apples on a tree. And from this Biblical story of temptation and the battle of the sexes comes a classic romantic comedy of the same with countless references back to its origins. A father-daughter con team finds their mark in a clumsy, straitlaced rich boy named Pike (Fonda). The daughter (Stanwyck) finds herself falling in love with the man, but their devious intentions find their way to the forefront and get in the way of their happiness. In between the moments of bittersweet melodrama, there are some very clever moments that not only make you smile, but also laugh out loud. The writing excels in both the plotting and the dialogue to create, in combination with spot-on acting, a pristine, unforgettable movie.

The camerawork and editing are rather ordinary for the most part, although there are a few moments where they still manage to surprise and astound you with each. Despite some amazing writing, there are also a number of gags and gimmicks that seem too stupid or simple for the rest of the movie. There are also some awkward fade-out transitions that seem sudden and/or out of place. These are all rather minor niggles with an otherwise intelligent and immensely enjoyable film.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033804/

The Wrong Man (1956)

4.9/5

The Wrong Man is the true story of Manny Balestrero, a musician falsely accused of armed robbery. The film, shot on location in New York City, is strikingly authentic. In this story, Hitchcock has found the epitome of everything he has searched for during his entire career. Bernard Herrmann's score is absolutely wonderful and a perfect fit for this piece. The acting by Fonda and Miles is phenomenal and unforgettable. Hitchcock makes you feel for the characters, and then twists your heart again and again with every turn his life-changing predicament takes. Hitchcock has almost outdone himself in terms of cinematography and shot composition. The framing is beautiful and the camera movement is natural. He knows what we want to look at and he shows us exactly that in the exact manner we expect to see it in.

Four scenes stand out in my memory. The first is when Manny goes to the insurance agency. The tellers' suspicion is evoked almost too perfectly through flawlessly tense editing and simple, silent shots. The second shows Manny being taken to prison in a paddy wagon, the shame he experiences from being with criminals forces his head down and his eyes on everyone's shoes. The third, though, is my favorite in the entire film. As Manny is taken to his jail cell, the camera follows him until it gets stopped by the cell door, then it peeks in through the peephole and continues through the peephole to see him investigate his new home before backing back out. It is an unbearably haunting moment. The fourth I don't want to reveal, but suffice it to say that it reminded me of the end scene in Kurosawa's High and Low.

I'm conflicted about the ending. I know it's limited by the facts, but it almost seems as if everything the movie was building up to was flipped over and turned on its head with the final words. As Hitchcock was a part of the Hollywood studio system, it may have been forced on him by his producers. And the human side of me does appreciate those last words, but my artistic sensibilities remain irked by the about-face at the end. Either way, this is definitely one of Hitchcock's best, both technically and thematically. I was enthralled the entire time and loved it immensely.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0051207/

The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

4.9/5

This movie is a searing indictment of how our society functions when we take the law into our own hands; how we try to one-up each other in mob groups and decide we can't back down until we do something we regret; how we jump to conclusions and information gets distorted when emotion gets in the way of communication. But more importantly, it's a powerful, unforgettable portrayal of innocence and injustice, making mistakes and living with regret.

The camerawork, shot composition, and editing were well-done throughout, with some scenes of exceptional flourish and one in particular that blew me away (a long tracking shot after the titular moment that ends on shadows on the ground). The acting was also quite good by Henry Fonda, but also by some lesser-known actors. The minor characters were so richly developed and the town was magnificently textured, much in the same way as Rear Window (how there were intricate stories for the tenants being watched).

It seems like some scenes were added for no real reason (for example, the scene where Rose comes back to town married). The plot was also somewhat predictable; you knew what had to happen for the message to have any power or meaning. Even so, it was a tense 75 minutes, hoping and praying the men don't make the wrong decision.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036244/