FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
LAURA (1944)
Compelling from start to finish, Otto Preminger’s Laura (1944) feels contemporary
by visually appealing to emotions in a
clearly universal manner. This film noir centers around the murder of
beautiful New York socialite Miss Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney), a woman
every man would love and maybe even kill for. But the story doesn’t
focus on the romantic angle as much as it would if it
were filmed today. In fact, the mystery almost becomes background to the
perfectly lit (and Oscar winning) cinematography and the music that manages to
overwhelm the senses but not the film. The camera movements too add to
the atmosphere yet simultaneously allow all other elements
to shine through. In combination, it is a perfectly executed film that
allows the viewer to become curious and involved whether they dare to or
not.
DVD extras: The best of the extras include two A&E biographies. “Vincent Price: The
Versatile Villain”
covers the entire span of Price’s career from Yale to
Edward Scissorhands. The second
biography details the actress’
dramatic life and health problems. Neither really adds to the understanding
or appreciation of Laura but are interesting nonetheless. There is a choice between two
commentary tracks over the film. The first
is narrated by the late David Raksin, the film’s composer, and Jeanine
Basinger of Wesleyan University. The second is by
author Rudy Behlmer. Between the two commentaries, Behlmer’s is delivered in a much more
engaging and livelier manner. It also benefits from his anecdotes of Laura’s creator, Vera
Caspary, whom he had interviewed. Interestingly, Caspary considered Marlene Dietrich the
actress closest to the character of her independent, pampering Laura. The two commentaries
often overlap, discussing the creation of the score and original director Rouben Mamoulian,
as well as repeating the same Tierney quote regarding her first reaction to the
role (“Who wants to play a painting?”)
Basinger dominates her commentary, talking about the film’s history with
critical attention to the small elements and their importance throughout
the plot. Raksin is entertaining, interspersing Basinger’s historical
facts and interpretations with personal tales of his experiences,
admitting from the start that he won’t be able to hold back. Included in the extended version is a deleted montage
that was deemed too decadent in 1944. Finally, the theatrical trailer
is surprisingly revealing. If you haven’t
seen the film yet, don’t watch the trailer first. Mallory Potosky
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