“Dark Passage" is a hugely underrated and stylish film-noir that sees Vincent Parry (Humphrey Bogart), as an innocent man falsely convicted of killing his wife, breaking out of San Quentin in an effort to prove his innocence... or perhaps to get revenge. He’s assisted by the beautiful Irene Jansen (Lauren Bacall) who may have her own particular motivations in regard Parry. Directed with a real flourish by Delmer Daves who shoots the first forty minutes of the film from Parry’s perspective, which means that we don’t actually see Bogart’s face until well into the movie. That Daves manages to keep this approach riveting says much about his skilful direction and Bogart’s power as an actor. The views of 1940s San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge are splendidly captured giving a real feeling of place and locale. Sidney Hickox's stylish cinematography adds finesse to look of the city as it does to the interiors and in particularly to Irene’s apartment and it modernist look. Franz Waxman's swing score is also a powerful presence in the film adding to that palpable sense of time and place. Bogart is excellently supported by the rest of the cast - the radiant Bacall who easily holds her own with her powerful leading man. Perhaps the strongest performance, however, is from Agnes Moorehead who is suitably grating as Parry's nemesis, the twisted Madge Rapf. A great performance that helps elevate “Dark Passage” into the pantheon of classic noir. ( )

A fugitive gets plastic surgery.

Concept: C
Story: D
Characters: D
Dialog: C
Pacing: D
Cinematography: C
Special effects/design: C
Acting: D
Music: C

Enjoyment: C

GPA: 1.6/4 ( )