
NOTES ON FILM & RESTORATION
02/17/2021Film noir has been so thoroughly fussed over and theorized and fetishized and trumpeted since it was first classified and named back in the 70s that it has now become a brand name. It’s interesting to give the films a fresh look and consider their most outlandish aspects—labyrinthine narratives, wildly eccentric and impulsive characters popping up around every corner, unreliable narrators, resurrections from the dead and soul-searing betrayals. The mixture of resignation, confusion, wild romantic longing, punishing cruelty and sheer craziness really does stop you in your tracks. The titles made in the years just after the war are the most moving, and they now seem directly tied to films about returning WWII vets like The Best Years of Our Lives, Till the End of Time and From This Day Forward—the same bottled-up emotions expressed by different means.
Amnesia, recurring dreams and drug-induced delirium are the narrative convolutions that create fractured landscapes of the mind, often enhanced by filmmakers and actors who were electrified by the challenge. And the challenge is even greater when the source material is from Cornell Woolrich. Woolrich, who also wrote under the pen name William Irish, was prolific. He was also variable. To take one example, his 1940 novel The Bride Wore Black ends with a truly inane “plot twist,” thrown out by François Truffaut in his 1968 adaptation. But he was also inventive, and his novels and short stories were the basis of some of the greatest films of the 40s and 50s, including The Leopard Man, Phantom Lady, Rear Window and The Chase, Arthur Ripley’s 1946 adaptation of The Black Path of Fear. For years, The Chase was only available in some of the worst and most dispiriting transfers I’ve ever seen, and I was thrilled when Bertrand Tavernier told me he’d heard the negative existed in a European archive and overjoyed when the film was actually restored by UCLA with funding from The Film Foundation and the Franco-American Cultural Fund. I wouldn’t dream of giving away too much of the plot. Suffice to say that the film begins with a troubled, penniless vet (Robert Cummings) on the streets of Miami who picks up a wallet on the street and returns it to its rightful owner, a gangster (Steve Cochran) who lives with his beautiful kept wife (Michèle Morgan) in a gaudy mansion filled with “classical” statues, and who decides to give the vet a job as his chauffeur—over the objections of his unimpressed henchman (Peter Lorre)—and test him out with a ride in his specially designed limo in which he can gun the speed from the back. Ripley (who started as a gagman for Mack Sennett, and whose independently made Voice in the Wind was also restored by UCLA with the help of TFF), along with DP Franz Planer, Art Director Robert Usher, writer Philip Yordan and producer Seymour Nebenzal, created an exquisite nightmare that becomes more baroque and uncanny as it unfolds—small wonder that The Chase is a favorite of Guy Maddin. And at the heart of the film is the deep yearning of Cummings’ Scottie to be whole and at peace with himself.
- Kent Jones
Follow us on Instagram, and Twitter!
THE CHASE (1946, d. Arthur Ripley)
Restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive, with funding provided by The Film Foundation and the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique partnership between the Directors Guild of America (DGA); the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA); the Société des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs de Musique (SACEM); and the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW).
VOICE IN THE WIND (1944, d. Arthur Ripley)
Restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation, in collaboration with Cohen Film Collection. Restoration funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.
The Film Foundation
News Archive
2021
- 3/3/2021 : The Film Foundation
- 2/25/2021 : The Film Foundation
- 2/20/2021 : North Africa Post
- 2/17/2021 : The Film Foundation
- 2/17/2021 : HFPA
- 2/16/2021 : Harper's Magazine
- 2/14/2021 : The New York Review of Books
- 2/11/2021 : The Film Foundation
- 2/4/2021 : The Film Foundation
- 1/27/2021 : The Film Foundation
- 1/20/2021 : The Film Foundation
- 1/16/2021 : HFPA
- 1/13/2021 : The Film Foundation
- 1/6/2021 : The Film Foundation
2020
- 12/31/2020 : NFPF
- 12/23/2020 : HFPA
- 12/22/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 12/16/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 12/10/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 12/10/2020 : The Morning Call
- 12/4/2020 : HFPA
- 12/2/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 12/1/2020 : The Digital Fix
- 11/27/2020 : HFPA
- 11/25/2020 : HFPA
- 11/24/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 11/18/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 11/16/2020 : HFPA
- 11/12/2020 : HFPA
- 11/11/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 11/9/2020 : HFPA
- 10/28/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 10/27/2020 : HFPA
- 10/21/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 10/21/2020 : HFPA
- 10/16/2020 : RogerEbert.com
- 10/14/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 10/12/2020 : ITP/ In The Picture
- 10/8/2020 : Turner Classic Movies
- 10/8/2020 : HFPA
- 10/7/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 9/30/2020 : The Wall Street Journal
- 9/30/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 9/30/2020 : The Guardian
- 9/29/2020 : HFPA
- 9/26/2020 : HFPA
- 9/23/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 9/17/2020 : Boulder Weekly
- 9/16/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 9/15/2020 : HFPA
- 9/10/2020 : HFPA
- 9/9/2020 : The Film Foudation
- 9/3/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 9/1/2020 : HFPA
- 8/26/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 8/24/2020 : HFPA
- 8/19/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 8/18/2020 : NYFF
- 8/12/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 8/5/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 8/4/2020 : HFPA
- 7/30/2020 : HFPA
- 7/29/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 7/22/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 7/22/2020 : Press Release
- 7/15/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 7/15/2020 : Press Release
- 7/13/2020 : HFPA
- 7/8/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 7/1/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 6/26/2020 : HFPA
- 6/24/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 6/17/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 6/3/2020 : Dhaka Tribune
- 5/27/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 5/26/2020 : HFPA
- 5/26/2020 : The Hannibal 8
- 4/29/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 4/21/2020 : UCLA Film & Television Archive
- 4/7/2020 : High-Def Digest
- 3/16/2020 : The Film Foundation
- 2/7/2020 : Press Release
- 1/23/2020 : Press Release
2019
- 12/14/2019 : Press Release
- 12/4/2019 : The Review
- 11/6/2019 : GQ
- 11/6/2019 : Jermyn Street Journal
- 10/8/2019 : Press Release
- 9/18/2019 : Art House Convergence
- 9/9/2019 : The Hollywood Reporter
- 8/27/2019 : The Hollywood Reporter
- 8/19/2019 : The Hindu
- 7/24/2019 : Press Release
- 7/17/2019 : Walker Art Center
- 7/15/2019 : MoMA Magazine
- 6/21/2019 : Press Release
- 4/26/2019 : Festival de Cannes
- 4/19/2019 : ScreenAnarchy
- 4/5/2019 : Variety
- 3/25/2019 : Inside Criterion
- 3/10/2019 : Variety
- 3/4/2019 : IndieWire
- 2/23/2019 : IndieWire
- 2/19/2019 : Columbus Underground
- 2/12/2019 : Los Angeles Times
- 2/6/2019 : Press Release
- 1/9/2019 : Press Release
- 1/3/2019 : Box Office Pro
2018
- 12/27/2018 : La Vanguardia
- 12/6/2018 : Press Release
- 11/29/2018 : The Criterion Collection
- 11/10/2018 : The Citizen
- 10/18/2018 : Press Release
- 10/11/2018 : Corriere Della Serra
- 9/11/2018 : Press Release
- 8/21/2018 : The Film Stage
- 8/14/2018 : The Telegraph
- 8/7/2018 : The Village Voice
- 7/27/2018 : Cinema Escapist
- 7/25/2018 : Cinema Escapist
- 7/22/2018 : Cinema Escapist
- 7/10/2018 : IndieWire
- 6/24/2018 : Cinefilia Ritrovata
- 5/1/2018 : Press Release
- 4/25/2018 : CriterionCast
- 4/23/2018 : Milenio
- 4/18/2018 : Festival de Cannes
- 4/2/2018 : Metro
- 3/28/2018 : FilmJournal International
- 3/28/2018 : Parade
- 3/27/2018 : IndieWire
- 2/15/2018 : The New York Times
- 1/30/2018 : Screen Slate
- 1/19/2018 : CriterionCast
- 1/11/2018 : Deadline
- 1/6/2018 : Malay Mail Online
2017
- 12/13/2017 : The Washington Post
- 11/10/2017 : CNN
- 10/19/2017 : Variety.com
- 10/16/2017 : Film Journal International
- 9/25/2017 : Press Release
- 8/31/2017 : Press Release
- 8/22/2017 : Bedford+Bowery
- 8/16/2017 : ComingSoon.net
- 8/13/2017 : Sunday Times
- 8/9/2017 : New York Review of Books
- 8/3/2017 : Deadline
- 7/27/2017 : Globe and Mail
- 7/21/2017 : Moviemaker
- 7/20/2017 : VOA Let's Learn English
- 7/20/2017 : Cinecitta News
- 7/18/2017 : Press Release
- 6/26/2017 : Variety
- 6/16/2017 : Chicago Tribune
- 6/12/2017 : VOA Afrique
- 6/9/2017 : IndieWire
- 6/9/2017 : RogerEbert.com
- 5/31/2017 : Slant
- 5/3/2017 : Festival de Cannes
- 5/3/2017 : Press Release
- 4/24/2017 : The New Yorker
- 4/21/2017 : The New York Times
- 4/7/2017 : The Hollywood Reporter
- 3/15/2017 : Press Release
- 3/2/2017 : Variety
- 2/23/2017 : The Columbus Dispatch
- 2/20/2017 : IndieWire
- 1/19/2017 : Press Release
2016
- 12/21/2016 : Variety
- 11/16/2016 : PR Newswire
- 10/27/2016 : The New York Times
- 9/27/2016 : CNN Philippines
- 9/21/2016 : The Hollywood Reporter
- 9/20/2016 : Press Release
- 8/4/2016 : The Hollywood Reporter
- 7/26/2016 : Press Release
- 7/7/2016 : Press Release
- 7/5/2016 : HFPA
- 7/3/2016 : The Week
- 6/27/2016 : Variety
- 5/31/2016 : Focal International
- 4/30/2016 : The Montclair Times
- 4/20/2016 : Press Release
- 4/7/2016 : The Globe and Mail
- 3/29/2016 : ARTFORUM
- 3/8/2016 : Focal International
- 2/25/2016 : The Hindu
- 1/14/2016 : Press Release
2015
- 11/1/2015 : O Tempo
- 10/27/2015 : Film Comment
- 10/26/2015 : Archive Zones
- 10/19/2015 : Le Monde
- 9/29/2015 : Folha de S.Paulo
- 9/15/2015 : Press Release
- 9/1/2015 : Senses of Cinema
- 8/21/2015 : Indiewire
- 8/14/2015 : Deadline
- 7/23/2015 : The Wall Street Journal
- 6/4/2015 : Press Release
- 6/2/2015 : der Standard
- 5/27/2015 : The Wall Street Journal
- 5/17/2015 : The Seattle Times
- 5/5/2015 : Press Release
- 4/22/2015 : Variety
- 4/16/2015 : The Guardian
- 3/11/2015 : Los Angeles Times
- 2/23/2015 : The Wall Street Journal India
- 1/21/2015 : Press Release
- 1/20/2015 : Indiewire
- 1/15/2015 : Press Release
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
1999
1998
1995
1990
categories
Back to News