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Friday, March 27, 2009

Gilda (1946) [NR] *****


A film review by Dr. Svet Atanasov for blu-ray.com, December 21, 2015

Glenn Ford is Johnny Farrell, a petty gambler who makes ends meet by separating fools from their money on the dark and dirty streets of Buenos Aires. It is there that someone tries to kill Johnny, but the wealthy loner Ballin Mundsen (George Macready) saves his life and then hires him to manage his casino.

Soon after Johnny gets comfortable working in the casino, Ballin shows him his latest acquisition – the stunningly beautiful Gilda (Rita Hayworth), who knows how to seduce men with deep pockets. What Ballin does not know is that Johnny and Gilda have a long history together.

Eventually Ballin realizes that Gilda might have had a plan when she agreed to marry him, but he has little time to question her because two German businessmen arrive in the casino and create some tension after they demand that he sign some important documents. A local government agent (Joseph Calleia) further complicates things when he approaches Johnny and reveals to him that his boss' interests extend far beyond his gambling business. All hell breaks loose when Ballin kills one of the Germans and then his private plane crashes into the ocean while he is making his escape from Montevideo.

Charles Vidor's classic noir film, Gilda, works because of three simple reasons. The first is the presence of the stunningly beautiful Hayworth. The camera loves her so much that it frequently feels like it has difficulty spending time with the rest of the actors. Hayworth is fully aware of her sex appeal and loves the attention. The confidence she exudes makes even casual close-ups look breathtakingly beautiful.

The second reason is the terrific script. It is one of the best done for a Hollywood film after WWII. The exchanges between the main protagonists are frequently exceptionally bold yet vague enough not to upset the watchdogs. (Years later, a similar style of writing was mastered by various screenwriters living behind the Iron Curtain, where powerful red apparatchiks would carefully scrutinize their work to make sure that it does not undermine the Party's legitimacy).

The third reason is Jack Cole's music numbers. There is no groundbreaking material here, but everything works to perfection. Looking indescribably sexy, Hayworth sings, dances, and flirts with her audience, and then suddenly takes off the beautiful mask she wears for everyone to see that she is a real woman who wants to be loved, cared for and protected. Indeed, the numbers and the transitions after them are wonderfully choreographed.

Glenn Ford also leaves a lasting impression as the petty gambler who gets a second chance in life. His final character transformation, however, feels a bit premature. Macready looks appropriately cold and unpredictable. Though his time in front of the camera is limited, Steven Geray is simply outstanding as the casino's washroom attendant, Uncle Pio.

Gilda was lensed by legendary Polish-born cinematographer Rudolph Mate. The many music pieces heard throughout the film were orchestrated by Hugo Friedhofer.

In 2013, Gilda was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

Blogger’s comments:
The fourth reason for the film’s success is the chemistry between Hayworth and Ford. Although both of them were married to other people at the time, Director Vidor was so concerned that they would have an affair that it gave him some sleepless nights. Apparently his concern was not unwarranted. Years later, Ford’s son Peter remarked that his father and Rita Hayworth actually did have an on-again, off-again love affair that lasted forty years.

The fifth reason for the film’s success was Rita Hayworth’s popularity among GIs returning from WW II, which rivaled Betty Grable’s popularity. So, when the film was released in 1946, former servicemen took their wives and girlfriends to see it.

Labels: drama, film-noir, romance, thriller


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