Rent Scarlet Street (1945)
3.8 of 5 from 91 ratings
1h 43min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Christopher Cross (Edward G. Robinson) is a meek but respected bank clerk who, on his way home from a dinner in recognition of his service, goes to the aid of Kitty Marsh (Joan Bennett) who is being attacked by Johnny Prince, her lowlife boyfriend (Dan Duryea). Attracted by her beauty, but contrary to his usual persona, he takes Kitty for a drink and tells her that he is a famous painter. Kitty and Johnnie soon plan to take Chris for all he's got. He is pulled into a world of crime and deception by this seductive femme fatale and her manipulative boyfriend. For their sins Kitty and Johnnie pay a heavy price but, after a bizarre chain of events and sordid brutality, it is Chris who is left a broken man, deranged - and in a living hell. - Actors:
- Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, Dan Duryea, Margaret Lindsay, Rosalind Ivan, Jess Barker, Charles Kemper, Anita Sharp-Bolster, Samuel S. Hinds, Vladimir Sokoloff, Arthur Loft, Russell Hicks
- Directors:
- Fritz Lang
- Producers:
- Fritz Lang
- Writers:
- Georges de La Fouchardière, André Mouézy-Éon, Dudley Nichols
- Studio:
- Eureka
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Thrillers
- Collections:
- 100 Years of German Expressionism, A Brief History of Galleries and Museums in Film: Part 2, Film History, A Brief History of Film..., The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to Jean Renoir, The Instant Expert's Guide to: Fritz Lang, Top 10 French-Language Remakes, Top Films
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- Unknown
- Run Time:
- 103 minutes
- Languages:
- English
- Subtitles:
- None
- Formats:
- NTSC
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- (0) All
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Reviews (1) of Scarlet Street
The best of Lang's forties noirs. - Scarlet Street review by Steve
This is a remake of Jean Renoir's La Chienne, a classic French melodrama made in 1931. It's a grotesque love triangle between Joan Bennett's slovenly sex worker, her stupid, swaggering pimp- Dan Duryea, naturally- and Edward G. Robinson as a middle aged downtrodden husband regrettably infatuated with Bennett.
The older man is a weekend painter who discovers he is a genius only when his paintings are stolen and sold by the other two. But fate is cruel and resolves he should not receive any of the reward or recognition, which leads him deep down into murder and madness.
Robinson is startlingly submissive as the humiliated dupe, tormented and mocked by Bennett. He kneels to paint her toenails ('make them masterpieces'), wears his wife's frilly apron in the kitchen and is constantly harangued to carry out menial tasks after a long day at the bank. There is a potent theme of sexual fetishism.
Bennett is exceptional as the uncouth slattern. This is a powerfully pessimistic experience and its touch of the absurd just makes it more desolate. It's a key noir from the first classic wave, which has the schematic narrative of a parable as it relentlessly punishes Robinson for straying from his designated path.
*note, this fell out of copyright years ago and prints are often terrible.
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