An embittered woman seeks escape in marriage, only to fall for her husband’s best friend.
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Reviews
Undescribable Perfection
Absolutely Brilliant!
I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.
It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Don't for a second believe anyone who tries to convince you that this is a film noir. The only noir things about "Clash by Night" are its nonsensical title and some actors, notably Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Ryan, who appeared in their fair share of films of that genre.No, "Clash by Night" is a character study of three people caught up in a romantic triangle. Stanwyck is the hard-luck girl who returns to her hometown after some sordid things have happened to her and tries to be happy with a steady-but-boring regular Joe (Paul Douglas). But she's really drawn to the town bad boy (played by Ryan) even though she knows he'd treat her, well, badly. "Clash by Night" is adapted from a Clifford Odets play, and its stage origins show. It's a pretty talky film and feels fairly stagy despite being helmed by master director Fritz Lang. On the plus side, it offers some really satisfyingly complex characterizations and allows three talented actors to develop characters that defy easy categorization. It also asks us to think about the film's casually violent treatment of women, either literally or rhetorically, a theme that feels especially relevant just now.Grade: B
Mae Doyle (Barbara Stanwyck) surprises her fisherman brother Joe (Keith Andes) returning home to Monterey, California. Joe is dating Peggy (Marilyn Monroe). Mae claims her rich boyfriend died and his family took everything back in court. She starts dating simple fisherman Jerry D'Amato (Paul Douglas) and eventually marries him. His friend film projectionist Earl Pfeiffer (Robert Ryan) is bitter about his marriage. When his wife leaves Earl, Mae starts an affair with him escaping her tired family life with her new baby.The acting is really broad and old fashion. Stanwyck is putting her ballsy acting to use. Everybody is a little overdramatic especially Ryan. It's hard to see her with the old and bland Jerry. Stanwyck and Ryan is doing an even broader version of old fashion melodrama. Of course, one wants to see Monroe especially opposite a legend like Stanwyck. It's a rising star exploding whenever her minor role is on the screen. Fritz Lang brings out something so overwrought that it's almost a spoof. This is a fascinating movie of changing styles and the passing of the torch between two cinematic icons.
Raw, emotional drama with top performances. Seething with pent-up emotions Barbara Stanwyck is the seen it all gal who comes home as she says because she's run out of places to go. She's brilliant here giving a finely judged portrayal of a woman at the end of her rope, you can feel her weariness. Paul Douglas is touching as the somewhat clueless schlub who falls for Barbara and Robert Ryan adds another superior performance to his gallery of less than honorable men. Keith Andes as Barbara's brother is fine even if his character is a sexist jerk. It's interesting to see Marilyn Monroe playing just a regular girl, albeit a very attractive one but no sexpot, coming across well in a part that is an anomaly in her filmography. Moodily directed by Lang which is perfect for the material.
A hardened woman returns home to a fishing village only to be caught between two men.At least the movie has Andes and Monroe whose characters come across as refreshingly natural, along with revealing stock footage of the fishing industry. However, the rest of the film is pitched about ten decibels over the top, with all the subtlety of a hammer blow. Douglas's Jerry is not just a nice guy, he's a rub-your-nose-in-it Nice Guy. Similarly for Ryan's cynical Earl and Stanwyck's hard case Mae. Not even such first-rate performers as these can overcome the relentlessly overblown dialog or stagy sets. Nor does it appear the three were allowed to shade their performances beyond one-dimensional caricature. At the same time, the symbolism of roiling seas and surging tide is about as necessary as gravy on soup. In short, the movie amounts to a textbook exercise of heavy-handed histrionics and too much talk, Fritz Lang or no Fritz Lang.I expect other reviewers are right about the material being shaped for 1950's audiences. In those days, one way of getting people away from TV was to promise them titillation since there was none on TV. But then producers faced the problem of Production Code limits on what could be shown or said on screen, especially in the way of sex. Thus, the emphasis in the film is on the atmospherics of desire instead of anything more literal. This results in a movie that, unfortunately, drowns in an overlay of heavy breathing, standard innuendo, and redundant symbolism. Such may have titillated audiences then; now there's just a dreary sameness in the repetition. At the same time, that turnaround ending shouldn't be overlooked. Unhappily, it's of the same Code-compromised sort that damaged more 50's movies than just this one.I guess my biggest regret is how the movie takes three of Hollywood's most capable actors and reduces them to near-caricature of their usual screen persona, Douglas and Ryan, especially. Here's hoping they were at least well paid.