Dark Passage

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Bruce Bennett, Agnes Moorehead, Tom D'Andrea, Clifton Young, Douglas Kennedy
Directed by: Delmer Daves
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Thriller, Film-Noir
Box Office: $
1947

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An escaped criminal (Humphrey Bogart) hides out in a woman's (Lauren Bacall) home and undergoes plastic surgery to avoid capture.

Review:

Tim: This movie takes an interesting idea and runs with it. The problem is that the movie is a bit gimmicky. A really interesting technic is that they never show Bogart's face until his plastic surgery is completed. While this adds an interesting new element and gives us a memorable revelation scene, it is hard to figure out what exactly the point is. This movie never answers the "So what?" question, so it is pretty hard to take it seriously.

Besides this, the movie is pretty much your average criminal-on-the-run type of film. There is nothing really new or exciting shown. Sure, the film leaves you interested and entertained throughout, but it also leaves you wanting a bit more.

Bogart is good in the role and he is at least convincing in the role. He has a knack for playing likeable bad guys and giving them just the right amount of balance to make them interesting. I've never been a huge Lauren Bacall fan, and she didn't change my mind here. She interacts well with Bogart for obvious reasons, and they make a good on screen pair.

While gimmicky, Dark Passage offers enough to be required viewing for Bogart and 40's cinema fans. Bacall fans should also find enough to enjoy here. The movie has enough uniqueness to be quite interesting. The story is compelling and watchable, although it begins to unravel in the third act. Still, you can do far, far worse and you should have fun with this film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: To Have and Have Not, The Big Sleep, Key Largo