Whirlpool

Psychobabble noirs, so preposterous and always seem to take themselves way too seriously, but still compelling in their distilled exploration of human nature. Ferrer makes the most of every moment he's on screen, contemptible yet believable. The looks in his eyes and snarls on his lips are perfect. Tierney, despite being chained by her role, is still fun to watch as well. The plotting is pretty tight too, so that despite the many underlying issues it's still fun to watch.

The use of hypnosis as a clever device to dissect the way women are made to submit to the whims of men. How men from your family/the man you chose to marry can manipulate you and be seen as a caring person or a person that knows what’s right for you but an outsider tricks you into more malicious things is a much worse damage to your character. How the thought of a woman cheating or being controlled by a man not her husband is played the same as a mentally ill woman being murdered. Great flick

Though a little far-fetched, good performances and an exciting pace in this psychological crime thriller.

Though not convincing, the psychological frosting improves the intrigue of character relations. Was hoping for a more complex plot.

To me Whirlpool (1950) was a slow grower, and I question the intensity coming a little too late to make a lasting impression, but there is no denying how great and reliable Gene Tierney was in her role.

Very fine noiresque drama by Preminger that switches it up by making the female character the main protagonist (for most of the movie). José Ferrer steals the show as the baddie. Like so many 40s psychological dramas it features kitchensink Freudian psychobabble, but the plot is engrossing enough to make it still very watchable.

Em honra do centenário de Gene Tierney. Nãoé particularmente um grande filme, especialmente em se tratando do Preminger, mas gosto da pegada dele dos profissionais de saúde mental tendo que aguentar charlatão pilantra desde tempos imemoriais e o limpando ao estrago quase irreversível que eles causam. BlurayRip no MakingOff.

79.50

A whipsmart and feverish noir, not least because the terrific Jose Ferrer spends roughly half of it in a deep, sickness-induced sweat. Otto Preminger worked endlessly on the cutting edge; even a melodramatic psychobabble thriller like Whirlpool feels wildly modern, in tone and in style. Here, there are multiple shots that'd rank among his most graceful, and a couple of compositions that would look right at home on The Knick, of all things.

Excellent noir can't avoid echoes of Preminger's own LAURA (especially with Tierney in the lead) -- while it lacks LAURA's clockwork efficiency, there is still a great deal to love here, especially Ferrer's outstanding, skin crawling depiction of a sleazy hypnotist, and the enjoyably unbelievable and melodramatic explanation of some of the key plot elements.

Star Rating: ★★★1/2

"Do you think these dysfunctional personalities are essential to film noir?" "Absolutely!" http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2014/11/episode-36-films-noir-of-otto-preminger.html

watched: 2013, 2024

71.625

More noir-ish than noir, a solid psychological drama but one that lacks tension. The shining star of this movie is Ferrer, who pulls off devious and charming in a captivating role. Tierney and Conte just seem to be going through the motions by comparison. The film also deals with a lot of pop psychiatrics, including hypnosis... right behind amnesia in terms of hokey plot devices. The cinematography is dull and the score is perfunctory. A watchable story that needs a whole lot more spark to it.

A good noir. Jose Ferrer is really slimy in this one, and Conte and Tierney are very effective leads.

Passes the time.

Another enjoyable, involving film noir mystery backed by some good performances, a well written script and an interesting plotline. Although some aspects might not be all that realistic, such as Ferrer being quiteso oblivious of his condition, it manages to capture the viewers attention and soon becomes a good watch.