This Property Is Condemned

Even if he were not listed in the titles, you could guess who originated the basis of this film (Tennessee Williams) – the stifling American South, a few characters, a small space and intolerable sexual tension. At least that is how the excellent first two-thirds appear. Cinematographer James Wong Howe’s camera work with tremendous depth of field and no visual frills is maximally focused on the characters. The actors themselves reveal the other layers of the complex characters through type-specific casting and more convincingly in minor gestures than through grand performances (which is true of Natalie wood in general). In the final third, the “many cocks in one ring” model is broken and replaced by a sweetish romance with a load of hollow scenes that serve merely to push the film toward its inevitable climax. Of the topics addressed in the introduction, only the Elektra complex is brought to the point, though somewhat unsatisfyingly. The weakness of men and amusement had at the expense of the wealthy are no longer dealt with. Nevertheless, the film gives a hint of extraordinary sensitivity to the seemingly banal substance of relationships, at which director Sydney Pollack later excelled. 70% (2019.07.24)