Out of the Past (1947)
Out of the Past (1947). Photofest.
Out of the Past (1947)
(Jacques Tourneur, US 1947, 97 min., 35mm)
War, Myth, Desire | Special Introduction. In what is perhaps the definitive film noir, Robert Mitchum finds himself in an inescapable downward spiral after he meets up with his old flame (Jane Greer) and former employer (Kirk Douglas). Tourneur, one of the most poetic practitioners in genre filmmaking (Cat People, Curse of the Demon) makes great use of Mitchum’s cynical, laconic presence. As the ads proclaimed: “It’s like lightning kissing thunder when Mitchum makes love to a girl with a gun.” Special introduction by photographer David Levinthal, who curated this series to accompany his retrospective exhibition War, Myth, Desire.