I don't use a pen. I write with a goose quill dipped in venom.

A DVD Review of Laura (1944)



This film could have been a disaster. A rather simple tale enlivened by a third act twist that on the page doesn't seem like much. One over-bearing character and three others who barely register doesn't seem like much and apparently many people turned the film down. But unlike what many people think, script is not necessarily everything. Sure if a script sucks you have less chance of brilliance, but throw the right ingredients in and who knows what happens? Such is the case with Laura, which is generally considered a masterpiece, the music of David Raksin the usual talking point, but it is the film's direction and performances that give this film it's still beating heart.

Clifton Webb is the obvious standout in the cast, taking an overbearing character and dialling him in just right so that we can see past his cynical veneer, Dana Andrews does a nice world-weary cop who has a yearning for a painting and Vincent Price and (our) Judith Anderson provide able support. Otto Preminger is the true star here though - his work is invisible to the audience, just when you think the artifice of it all (such as a blindingly beautiful pure black shadow moment) becomes obvious you are re-engrossed in a new plot twist, character moment or snide quip.

This is yet another film I might have never seen were it not for more contempary filmmaker's drawing inspiration from works such as this (god bless messrs Lynch, Cameron, Carpenter and Whedon). This film was a tremendous inspiration on David Lynch and Mark Frost when they made Twin Peaks, not in just the blinding obvious name references Laura and Waldo Lydecker, but plot and themes also.

I'm barreling through the extras and they appear to be rather comprehensive. Nice to see Joss Whedon's prof Jeanne Basinger on one of the commentaries.