Dark Waters
Posted by martinteller on November 11, 2010
A woman who has survived a tragic accident goes to stay at a Louisiana plantation with an aunt, but a strange air hangs over the place. This film doesn’t seem to have a very good reputation, but I loved it. This is a far cry from the hard-boiled grittiness of De Toth’s later noir Crime Wave. It’s drenched with thick, Gothic, gloomy atmosphere. Cinematographer John Mescall has a wonderful fluid touch with the camera, and the film is overcast with deep, imposing shadows. The aura of mysterious dread is maintained for the entire first hour, as the audience is kept just as much in the dark as the heroine (Merle Oberon). I don’t think there’s a single scene without her in it until the final act. Although you can quickly guess the other residents of the house are up to no good, Thomas Miller and Elisha Cook, Jr. are so menacing and creepy that they’re a joy to watch anyway. Oberon isn’t the greatest actress, but here she’s given a role that doesn’t require her to do much besides be frightened and be gorgeous… two things she does well. I must say Franchot Tone is kind of a dud as the leading man, but even he comes into his own during the film’s tense, thrilling climax. Something like Tourneur meets Hitchcock, this was a nice surprise. Rating: 8
