Out of the Past (1947) - Jacques Tournieur

15 minutes into Out of the Past, you wonder if its a noir at all. The film opens during the day, in a quiet California town, up in the mountains. A random gas station, a diner, a lake for fishing, nothing to make anything seem out of the ordinary. Sure we're conditioned to suspect something, but for a film so greatly associated with shadows and low key lighting, this film is a little deceptive, and herein lies the theme of the film. Tournieur is setting up his film aesthetically to mimic the characters in his picture. Where everyone has a past, everyone double crosses someone, and no one seems to be who or what they pretend. Only the natives of that quiet mountain town seem to be genuine. Therefore setting up the other main theme of the picture and the larger social commentary, small town America is the real America.

However this film has earned its reputation as one of the best and most definitive film noirs, and we'll get into the reasons why. For starters there is the narrative. Come on a private eye, a double crossing dame, a frame, murder upon murder, stories within a story, and don't for a second think that shadows don't show up eventually. In fact to precede the narrative crux of the picture, and set up the ever necessary back story, the shadows are cast. Nick Musuraca shot the film, and he is quickly making a transition. Even though the scene before Jeff (Robert Mitchum) and Ann (Virginia Huston) meet outside in the dark, the moon is so bright that everything remains illuminated. There is no danger in the scene, but when Jeff decides to tell about himself, then the road turns dark.

The story to tell is not just how Jeff crossed Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas) but more importantly how he met, fell for, and was abandoned by Kathie Moffet (Jane Greer). Unlike many noir films involving a triangle, the billing for Out of the Past had Mitchum and Greer with top billing, leaving Douglas for after the movie title. True Douglas was still fairly unknown, with only one real prominent starring role before, but Mitchum and Greer weren't exactly big stars. In fact Greer, despite an amazing presence here and looking a very radiant 23 years old never really catapulted like her two male costars did. Douglas carries the same type of force and power one would come to characterize in his films, but without the fire breathing. True Whit has a weak spot, and that's Kathie. Both times he calls on Jeff's talents he is over a barrel. The first time he's out of a girl and $40,000, the second time he stands to lose a great deal more. The money and potential prison time apparently evens out how much Kathie materially means. Looking at her, you can't help but understand how someone might be a little crazy for her.

If it weren't for Ann, there's a good chance Jeff would have probably fallen right back into her trap. Jeff gets all the best lines here and one of my favorites is the last conversation he has with Ann. When talking about Kathie, Ann says "She can't be all bad", to which Jeff replies "She comes close". The second time he meets Kathie, he doesn't buy her line. He never for a second believes anything she says, and we as viewers never feel like he's falling for her again. Now without Ann its questionable as to how he would react. Sure Virginia Huston is a good looking actress, but next to Jane Greer come on? Even Whit stops buying her line, and he even looks forward to the thought of hanging her for crimes she in fact did commit. Knowing Kathie is a murderer, we have to accept that she in fact will get "dealt with" in the traditional Hollywood justice mode. Whit and Jeff however are innocent at least in terms of cold blooded murder. We know Whit is a crime boss, but nothing is said of his activities and specifically how he makes his money. He can make the order, but his hands remain clean. 

The ending is very pessimistic, and the message seems clear, there really are no second chances. Past mistakes are inescapable. Jeff can't run from his past, and the ending removes all attempts at redemption. This can be read as a commentary on post war Europe, and the forgive and forget policy that America was applying towards their enemies. Tourneur was an immigrant, and read in this light perhaps he was saying that his is how they should have been dealt with. The wicked, need to be punished, and don't deserve to live among decent people. This may also explain why Whit has his house located in the remote Lake Tahoe, and Kathie says she and Jeff belong in the mountains. It maintains consistency, because none of the innocent die here. Eels is the closest thing to an innocent victim, and even he was working for the mob, just as Jeff's former partner was. In this regard as well, all the morally shady characters end up dead. Anyone who had anything to do with these hoods dies, with the exception of Meta Carson (Rhonda Fleming) who just seems to fade out of the picture. This film is too good to be bypassed, and remains one of the first stops on anyone's film noir journey.

Grade A