A cynical, karmic view on the American dream, Edmund Goulding's NIGHTMARE ALLEY tracks the rise and fall of a barker of a traveling carnival, Stan (Power), a soft-soaping charmer whose appearance is often preceded by his whistles.
Stan is a self-admitted self-server, once getting wind of the secrets codes shared by Zeena (Blondell) and her lush husband Pete (Keith), he is not above seduction and abetment to get what he deems as the money-spinner, and once he obtains it, he shows no gratitude to Zeena and ditches her for the young flesh of Molly (Gray), together, they makes good in Chicago's nightclub scenes for their mentalist act. What the American dream peddles is the sky is the limit , therefore Stan has no boundary in his cupidity. Teamed together with a wily city shrink, the glamour puss Lilith (Walker), Stan meets his undoing sooner than he expects, and he is going to sink to the lowest, a carnival geek.
If this is a similar cautionary tale trying to admonish you that morality is the yardstick in your pursuit of success, don't go over the boundary, the script leaves a saving grace to Stan, namely, his love for Molly is genuine, even his scheme dies a death in her hands, he bears her no grudge, because in his heart of hearts, Stan knows what he has done is wrong and he has always been guilt-ridden for Pete's sorry fate, the bottom-line is he is not a psychopath, that's why he deserves to be rescued in the end. That said, for those who feel this Power-vehicle, which submerses the star's valiant hero image, chickens out in the last minute, you can see their point, Goulding doesn't t go the whole hog under the pressure of the studio, but that is only to be expected.
Failed to meet a triumphant turnout in audience number in its initial release, NIGHTMARE ALLEY's reputation enjoys a late surge perhaps because modern audience is more susceptible to its judicious message under the noir ambience, its nostalgic carny backdrop (with a fire-breather, but unfortunately , the scenes with a live-chick-gorging geek are too disturbing to be shown!) and Power's rivetingly transmuted performance, Stan is the paradigm of all-American phoniness, Power makes his suspect nature an amenity, and he is so self-aware of every word he utters, that even the deceitful blarney which no one can credit today sounds deliberately plausible. Power also hits home in Stan's final transformation into a beaten saddo, his years-adding make-up may look low-grade, but the despondence exuded from his eyes is the clincher,you believe Stan's downfall wholeheartedly.
Everyone strives for gold in the supporting cast too, Gray makes a corny good girl a true heroine who can absolutely tell what is right and what is wrong, and is not swooningly blinded by love; Blondell impersonates Zeena with straight piquancy and compassion, she is not a shallow victim, even you don't believe her Tarot reading, Zeena is not someone you can brush aside, and Stan knows the best, Blondell, just easing into her 40s, shows that acting chops accrete through experiences; playing Zeena's husband, Keith is a soft-centered defeatist that shines momentarily in his short screen-time; and Walk, strutting her stuff of femme fatale mystique and inscrutability, is another corker, her psychobabble aside (transference is duly mentioned here),she also offers you a sensation of satisfaction in Lilith's impeccable demeanor of self-possession and treachery, girls, you all rock!.
A highly-anticipated remake by Guillermo del Toro with a stellar cast - Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara and Toni Collette, among others - is already in the can, and by Yours Truly's estimation, the carnivalesque spectacle will elaborated with a vengeance, and strong female characters can make a louder impact this time, dare I say lo and behold?
referential entries: Goulding's THE GREAT LIE (1941, 6.9/10); Billy Wilder's WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1957, 8.5/10).
Title: Nightmare Alley
Year: 1947
Genre: Drama, Film-Noir
Country: USA
Language: English
Director: Edmund Goulding
Screenwriter: Jules Furthman
based on the novel by William Lindsay Gresham
Music: Cyril J. Mockridge
Cinematography: Lee Garmes
Editing: Barbara McLean
Cast:
Tyrone Power
Coleen Gray
Joan Blondell
Helen Walker
Mike Mazurki
Ian Keith
Taylor Holmes
Julia Dean
James Flavin
James Burke
Rating: 7.9/10
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