Laura (1944)

 Otto Preminger's "Laura"


Billy Wilder's "Double Indemnity" was released in the summer of 1944 and changed the landscape of the Hollywood film going forward. That fall, there would be an onslaught of film that attempted to replicate that 'noir'-ish formula, like Fritz Lang's mockish "The Woman in the Window." Otto Preminger, an Austrian director, whom had yet to made a big splash in Hollywood, released a widely popular 'film noir' called "Laura." 

"Laura" centers on a detective investigating the death of a woman named Laura. Through his investigation, we meet a cast of characters and through flashbacks as told from their perspective, we get to know Laura and her relationship with these men. However, a twist in the story changes the very fabric of the investigation all together. 

Although the film is labelled as a 'film noir,' I personally would rebuke that label all together. To me, there is nothing about the film that is noir in any capacity, save for the detective protagonist. In fact, the film ends rather 'happily,' as a true noir would never. The killer is caught and all is well. Beyond this quarrel with this distinction of the film, I thought it was entertaining at the very least. The twists and turns and intrigue of the story really draw you into these relationships and make you really invested in them. You begin to yearn for the truth of the matter, both factually and emotionally. That being said, I can't say that I was jumping up and down by the film's end. It was a moderately enjoyable classic Hollywood film and I probably won't be raving about it any time soon. But, I also can't say that I didn't have an enjoyable time watching nonetheless.



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