Laura was one of
the earliest films from the noir genre, and its footprint can be felt in
countless noir stories.
The Detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) is investigating
the murder of a woman named Laura (Gene Tierney). There’s a number of suspects
at hand; the two most likely responsible are her fiancé, meek, shy Shelby
Caprenter (Vincent Price), and an ex-lover, Waldo Lydecker (Cliffton Webb), who
is an eccentric critic who appears to be an open book. And each one, and others
as well, is taken seriously as a potential suspect. At one point or another,
you’re going to believe it was one of them, even the detective starts to seem peculiar
as he becomes obsessed with Laura, even impossibly falling in love with her
just from the sight of her portrait and the taste in her music.
The more we get to know about Laura, the more we’re forced
to ask “who was this person?” Everyone keeps saying “She was so sweet”; but was
this the truth or was there perhaps a more sinister side to Laura? She seems to have played both Waldo and Shelby like a fiddle, stringing them along. Or this merely the sense we're given since we only ever see her from the perspective of men lusting after her?
The greatness of Laura
lies in its constant twists and turns. Just when you think you’ve got it all
figured out, it tosses a curve ball and has you questioning everything all over
again. It’s gripping and engrossing, and builds to an incredibly suspenseful and
taut climax that’s as pulse pounding as anything made today in Hollywood.
Great acting and wonderful build-up make Laura a first-rate
mystery.
Grade: A-
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