Gilda (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
Rita Hayworth stars in her most famous role as the sensuous, sultry 'Gilda' in director Charles Vidor's 1946 film noir classic. This smartly plotted, morally ambiguous mystery thriller, involving suspense, intrigue, glitz, glamour & a love triangle, was a big box office hit & remains a cult favorite for many adoring audiences {my beloved Nana being one those fans}. Glenn Ford co-stars as Johnny Farrell; a ne'er-do-well who has just arrived in Buenos Aires with dice-in-hand to make a living cheating in gambling. He looks to liver a stable life when, upon a chance meeting, he convinces Ballin Mundson (George Macready), the violent owner of the local illegal casino, to hire him on the idea that it is better for Ballin to have an 'enemy' on his side.
Other than the casino, which the local authorities are well aware of, sinister Ballin is also involved in a Nazi cartel. Recognizing a kind of kindred spirit in Johnny, the two men become close and, Ballin makes Johnny his trusted right-hand man. Johnny's intense loyalty to Ballin starts to collapse, however, by Ballin's surprise & sudden marriage to the magnetic Gilda, a femme fatale singer/dancer that once loved ... and then jilted Johnny. Mutual love/hatred btwn. them would set the tone for the rest of the film. This odd trio begins exploring their clashing desires while Ballin tries to maintain control over his vested interests. He then goes nutty when discovering Johnny & Gilda's past. He sets out to 'cut them apart' ... but then he disappears.
The entrancing 28 yr. old Rita Hayworth gives a luminous performance in this steamy romantic mystery; she makes it easy to get all wrapped up in the passions of the thriller plot. Hayworth is so good here that I'd have given her a Best Actress Academy Award nomination. Shockingly, this superstar performer never received a nod. 30 yr. old Glenn Ford gives a stellar, hard-boiled performance, though much more low key a portrayal than Hayworth's Gilda. Still, they exhibit great sexual chemistry as the volatile exes. And George Macready makes for a memorably creepy & menacing villain. I also liked Joseph Calleia as Det. Maurice Obregon.
I greatly enjoyed 'Gilda' as a stylish, steamy noir. That said, Rita Hayworth is classier than the movie, itself. Without her, I just don't think this movie would be the classic that it is -- that's how strong her presence is. And of course, who has a more iconic entrance in any film than when Hayworth flips her hair up and we see her beaming face for the very first time? The film gets a bit chatty & stagey in the mid section {my main issue with the film}, but even when the plot starts to come to a halt or drift a bit, Hayworth is on tap to spark things up. i.e., stripping off her black-satin gloves & singing the show-stopping "Put the Blame on Mame" number. Wowza.
This is one of Charles Vidor's best films too and, he directs it with focus & intensity. I also commend the gorgeous, evocative black-&-white cinematography by future director, Rudolph Mate. Again, things get a bit muddled in the middle, but despite the sometimes too-complicated plot {that sometimes lacks sense}, the twisted triangle of relationships keeps things moving; along with some fun sexual innuendos peppered throughout the script. The thriller, romance & music elements blend perfectly in a movie whose South American atmosphere simply crackles with electricity. Very good film.
Other than the casino, which the local authorities are well aware of, sinister Ballin is also involved in a Nazi cartel. Recognizing a kind of kindred spirit in Johnny, the two men become close and, Ballin makes Johnny his trusted right-hand man. Johnny's intense loyalty to Ballin starts to collapse, however, by Ballin's surprise & sudden marriage to the magnetic Gilda, a femme fatale singer/dancer that once loved ... and then jilted Johnny. Mutual love/hatred btwn. them would set the tone for the rest of the film. This odd trio begins exploring their clashing desires while Ballin tries to maintain control over his vested interests. He then goes nutty when discovering Johnny & Gilda's past. He sets out to 'cut them apart' ... but then he disappears.
The entrancing 28 yr. old Rita Hayworth gives a luminous performance in this steamy romantic mystery; she makes it easy to get all wrapped up in the passions of the thriller plot. Hayworth is so good here that I'd have given her a Best Actress Academy Award nomination. Shockingly, this superstar performer never received a nod. 30 yr. old Glenn Ford gives a stellar, hard-boiled performance, though much more low key a portrayal than Hayworth's Gilda. Still, they exhibit great sexual chemistry as the volatile exes. And George Macready makes for a memorably creepy & menacing villain. I also liked Joseph Calleia as Det. Maurice Obregon.
I greatly enjoyed 'Gilda' as a stylish, steamy noir. That said, Rita Hayworth is classier than the movie, itself. Without her, I just don't think this movie would be the classic that it is -- that's how strong her presence is. And of course, who has a more iconic entrance in any film than when Hayworth flips her hair up and we see her beaming face for the very first time? The film gets a bit chatty & stagey in the mid section {my main issue with the film}, but even when the plot starts to come to a halt or drift a bit, Hayworth is on tap to spark things up. i.e., stripping off her black-satin gloves & singing the show-stopping "Put the Blame on Mame" number. Wowza.
This is one of Charles Vidor's best films too and, he directs it with focus & intensity. I also commend the gorgeous, evocative black-&-white cinematography by future director, Rudolph Mate. Again, things get a bit muddled in the middle, but despite the sometimes too-complicated plot {that sometimes lacks sense}, the twisted triangle of relationships keeps things moving; along with some fun sexual innuendos peppered throughout the script. The thriller, romance & music elements blend perfectly in a movie whose South American atmosphere simply crackles with electricity. Very good film.