The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

Orson Welles’s “The Lady from Shanghai”

Thematic Elements: 

This film is a noir film which follows a protagonist who is lured into a dark web of sinister intentions. The protagonist is played for a fool by the other characters around him in that they convey false intentions to him that he readily follows in to. He believes these false intentions and ultimately in the end realizes that he never knew their true sinister nature at all. The sinister plans of each character are never really known and is completely hidden from both the viewer and the protagonist. In the end, these plans are ultimately disastrous for all the characters. The climax of the film, the hall of mirrors sequence, is perhaps one of the most famous in all of film. It is also a perfect representation of the film in that by showing you these elusive, mirrored versions of the characters, it represents the brittle, many-sided personality of the characters themselves, never really knowing who the real person is until all the fragile personas are ultimately shattered away.

Camerawork: 

Orson infuses the film with an ominous mood by using low key interior lighting and natural light for the exterior. This creates a harsh contrast of the shadowy interior intentions with bright inviting exteriors, same as the characters. The characters all have their own dark intentions but must be inviting to the protagonist to lure him into their scheming. Orson also uses setting to convey symbolism. For example, in the aquarium scene, when Rita is telling Orson that she believes her husband is planning a nefarious murder scheme, a shark swims by in the background, and when speaking about the lawyer, a slimy eel dominates the background. The truth of these threatening characters is always lurking underneath but is never noticed by the foolish unwitting protagonist. 

Best Shot: 

The best shot of the film has to come from the hall of mirrors sequence. In the end, the protagonist has finally been made aware of Rita’s cruel intentions. The love interest whom he was trying to help in being free from the men in her life is actually the person who has been using and manipulating everyone in the story. His idealistic perception of her has ultimately been shattered. This is best illustrated by shattering the literal image of her. 




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