Angel Face
Perhaps it’s just me but I have always been unable to find a version of this film on the internet. Now, I think I understand: It’s a film noir (which means it was a rather cheap B movie at the time of its release) and it’s an unusual one, perhaps even a little outdated for today’s tastes. But oh how marvelous this simple film is.
I admit that I could not help myself but fixate myself on the evil-looking eyebrows of the main character, but even while doing so, I could see how intense her look was and what a wonderful femme fatale she is. The greatness about the story lies in how powerful she is on the one hand, but how weak on the other hand. She does not lie about her evil character, and the male protagonist is always aware that she is dangerous, but he cannot escape her. Other femme fatales are much more subtly evil while her look just says „Look at me and fear me“. She lies, but she does not deceive as much as others do, and most of all, she actually has a very human and understandable weakness which leads to her downfall: a strong desire of being loved.
Another greatness about this film are the visuals in my opinion. The main character is always wonderfully dressed without looking as fake as Scarlett Johansson and especially Hillary Swank do in „The Black Dahlia“. I also think that there is a great chemistry between the two main characters, which is especially apparent when she plays the piano and he watches her; the mood it creates is impossible to re-do in modern times.
While you expect most film noirs to be very complicated and shocking, „Angel Face“ comes off very differently. It ends on a very shocking note too, but no in the typical sense. It’s not like a dangerous woman has planned everything beforehand and then her evil schemes are revealed by the male protagonist at the end. This film follows a very straightforward and chronological line in which the spectator knows everything that happens, but is surprised by the events at the end. „Angel Face“ is a Nouvelle Vague film with the structure and the looks of a film noir.
Don’t let yourself be fooled by the weird tagline on the cover. I wouldn’t say the whole story is about love, and it definitely is not sure how the female protagonist loved – who did she love anyways? But there definitely is quite a bit of psychological depth and sexual attraction here, making the film an unknown classic – it definitely is not your typical film noir and you should rather start with “The Maltese Falcon” or whatever is a prime example of a noir, but if you don’t mind the simplicity, you will most likely enjoy the mise en scène of “Angel Face”.
I find it hilarious, that our first film noir was “Brick” and now we’ve watched “Angel Face”… When are we going to finally watch “The Maltese Falcon?! :D
Also, simple film was simple. And that was its best feature: Actually the consequence of executing this simple storyline in such a straightforward way was a great plus for me. How unbuffy of me!
i totally agree that the straightforwardness is one of the film’s greatest strengths and probably what makes the ending so audacious and shocking – that typical aspect of “fatal attraction” is also expressed at it’s most simple and effective, I think, especially in that pan from him coming down the stairs following through to her on the piano!
I was bringing up “The Maltese Falcon” because I read the book and thus I know the story pretty much already. From the way the story builds up, I think that “Brick” and “The Maltese Falcon” are a little similar, and so I kind of expected “Angel Face” to be the same way – but it turned out to be a complete different type of story.
Oh, the straightforward, unpretentious storyline makes “Angel Face” so great, because it completely relies on the chemistry and relationship between the protagonists, especially the portrait of an outstandingly attractive femme fatale. If one finds Jean Simmons ugly, the whole film would fall apart.
EDIT: Oh right, I am one second late behind Gorp – I suppose I just totally agree with his assessment of this dramatic “fatal attraction” scene.
ooo, you guys must see “out of the past” now, it’s like the most elegant film ever and totally not straightforward xD