TJE 7/29 - Angel Face (1952)

I wasn't familiar with the work of Jean Simmons when she was young. I remembered her from "Guys and Dolls" and "Spartacus," as a very elegant and dignified leading lady. I never knew that she used to have a softer face, a higher, girlish voice, and in the right lights you could mistake her for Audrey Hepburn. And this made her perfect for the role of Diane Tremayne, a deeply troubled young woman who might be capable of murder, but is so attractive that she draws in the suspicious hero, in spite of himself.

Frank Jessup (Robert Mitchum) drives an ambulance, and one night responds to an emergency at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Tremayne (Herbert Marshall, Barbara O'Neil). The gas was left on in Mrs. Tremayne's bedroom and she was nearly asphyxiated. Though dismissed as an accident, there is the possibility that it was a murder attempt, as Mrs Tremayne is very rich. Frank finds Mr. Tremayne's daughter and Mrs. Tremayne's step-daughter Diane downstairs, distraught, and he tries to comfort her. They go out together, and then Diane finds reasons to spend more and more time with him. Frank already has a girlfriend, Mary (Mona Freeman), and he's aware that Diane may have been the one who tried to kill her step-mother, but he allows himself to be manipulated. He even agrees to become the Tremaynes' chauffer, putting him in the perfect position to observe the dysfunctional family.

Add "Angel Face" to the pile of exceptional Otto Preminger crime dramas, alongside "Anatomy of a Murder" and "Laura." I think this is my favorite of them so far, because the performances of Simmons and Mitchum are so good. This is a predictable story, a tragedy that we can see coming from a long way off. Mitchum's hero can see it too, but just can't turn away from the girl who professes to love him so desperately. I thought "Angel Face" was an odd title for such a dark story, but it is perfectly appropriate. The instrument of Frank Jessup's doom is Diane's allure. The film is less about the crime that is committed and the business of sorting out who should be held responsible, than the underlying psychological workings of the two primary characters, who easily transcend the usual film nor types.

"Angel Face" is distinctive for an unusually knowing, cynical attitude. A good portion of the film is devoted to a court case, and it doesn't hesitate to show that justice often requires compromises. The system has certain biases that can be exploited, and a good lawyer, in this case a persuasive fellow named Fred Barrett (Leon Ames), knows that the truth often gets in the way of the desired result. Morality is twisted at every turn, not in a salacious way that invites outrage, but very pragmatically. Despite the melodramatic overtones, there's a refreshing realism to the film, from the rare presence of minorities to the detailed court proceedings to the multifaceted characters. Our villain is also very much a victim, and the ostensibly good characters do things that would be considered despicable in a less nuanced film.

I really enjoyed how Preminger strips away most of the excesses we usually see with these kinds of stories, and sticks to a tight, focused drama that plays out a very personal level. The leads have real psychological complexity to them, especially the lovely Diane. There's a great sequence late in the film where she is at the piano, deep in thought. She plays a few notes, in perfect sync with the ominous musical score, subtly indicating that the music reflects her inner turmoil. Then she leaves the piano and wanders around the empty house, but the music she isn't playing continues, growing louder. Clearly Diane is about to do something desperate. The black and white cinematography is excellent, filling the empty house with shadows and ambiguities.

Robert Mitchum is great, but I can't say enough about Jean Simmons' performance here. Diane is cruel and selfish and manipulative, but there isn't a moment when she isn't also utterly vulnerable and sympathetic. Preminger never portrays her as mad or hateful, never has her go off on some over-the-top rant or reveal some hidden ugliness at her core. Instead, Diane is clearly a tragic character, someone who perhaps made a bad mistake and surely can be redeemed. We root for her, even though we know we shouldn't. We find ourselves drawn in, just as poor Frank does.

"Angel Face" is my kind of film noir, a film about the dark side of the human soul, but one that doesn't need the violent spectacle or the old clichés in order to make an impact. It's just a good director, good performers, and good writers telling us a story that everyone knows, but telling it in such a way that it hits just as hard as when we heard it the first time.

What I've Seen - Otto Preminger

Laura (1944)

Fallen Angel (1945)

Daisy Kenyon (1947)
Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
Angel Face (1953)
The Moon Is Blue (1953) 
River of No Return (1954)
Carmen Jones (1954)
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)
Bonjour Tristesse (1958)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Exodus (1960)
Advise & Consent (1962)
The Cardinal (1963)
Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965)

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