Director: Robert Montgomery
Year: 1947
Country: US
Language: English
What is film noir? Is it a mood? A visual style? A genre? Film historians, cinephiles and critics cannot agree on the exact terms for which a "film noir" may fall under. However, it is primarily used used primarily to describe stylish Hollywod Crime dramas of the 40's and 50's, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. I personally feel that "film noir" is an attitude. In North America these films describe the angst of our post-war victory. We defeated the axis, but we lost our moral compass in doing so. America used nuclear bombs to annihilate millions of innocent civilians in Nagasaki and Hiroshima and they feared that a day of judgement would come when the not so righteous would be brought to the light.
An adaptation of Dorothy B. Hughes 1946 novel, Ride the Pink Horse is about a man named Gagin (Robert Montgomery) who has come to the bordertown of San Pablo in order to find an equally mysterious Frank Hugo. His mission is equal parts revenge for his best friend, who died at the hands of Hugo, and blackmail.
Montgomery's movie contains all the ingredients that are fundamental to the American film noir. A heightened atmosphere of postwar anxiety and despair, mixed with off-kilter, gritty, jaunty and dark characters. There is a merging of class and race consciousness throughout the film, and although overall there is a positive message about race relations, at times the picture can seem quite racist. The main character is very much a Western idealist and orientalzes the Mexicans to the point where they are very much alien. However I suppose the gradual shift in his character justifies this point of view.
The background music alone is haunting, demonstrating the alarming case of undigested horror of a society that may be dawning towards nuclear annihilation. Idealism in Ride the Pink Horse is abandoned, our character's world is a topsy turvy mess where the individual cannot conquer basic desires. Many times our hero asks "what's in it for me?" the temptation to belong to a group of scoundrels villains is almost too great. Russell Metty's cinematography gives us a sense of confusion, loss and grief. This world is dirty, shallow and unwanted. Even the carousel, normally a symbol of joy, is seen as a place where a man can lose his soul.
In conclusion, Ride the Pink Horse is a great gem of the Classical Hollywood era. It is almost forgotten, which is a shame because of how well it captures the period at the time. Despite its dark foreboding tone, the picture is overall redemptive and gives the viewer hope for a better future. Robert Montgomery was a great actor, but an even better director. 4.5/5
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