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Strange Love of Martha Ivers, The (1946)
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When These Two Clash…Tension Grows Tighter And Tighter Until Violence Is The Only Answer!
Almost immediately in the wake of the Allied triumph against evil in World War Two came the irresistible urge to culturally examine the dark underbelly of the world around us, resulting in an entire class of seamy black and white motion pictures which came to be known collectively by the French term "Film Noir", or "dark cinema".One of the earliest and certainly one of the best of these classics was the 1946 Hall Wallis production of The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers.
Sporting on of the finest casts of any "film noir", this picture not only starred the well-established Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, and newcomer Lisabeth Scott, but it introduced a young actor named Kirk Douglas - would still be acting in films for over a half century later.
Dame Judith Anderson, in role even more sadistic and more bitchy than her heralded performance in Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca, dominates the first two reels as the cruel stepmother to a rich young runaway adopted daughter, Martha.Caught by the cops (who are obviously owned by the old lady since the name of the town is, after all, "Iverstown") and returned home against her will, she reacts to her stepmother's malignity by brutally committing a murder, which is witnessed by her young boyfriend, Sam, who would grow to manhood (Helflin) without ever realizing what he saw.
Returning from the war, he accidentally wanders into Iverstown thanks to a chance auto accident, and looks up Martha.She is now married to their other childhood friend (Douglas), who is now District Attorney.He, too, knows the secret and lords it over Martha.But he is spineless, and she lords that over him.They immediately assume Sam is in town to conduct a shakedown, and treat him accordingly.After being beaten and having his girlfriend assaulted and threatened, Sam forces a showdown, resulting in one of the most grim finishes to any film noir this side of Out Of The Past.
A riveting film, tightly directed by veteran Lewis Milestone, The Strange Love of Martha Avers is a brilliant signpost on the road to post-war disillusionment and, ultimately, societal suspicion and fear. This immensely important work was preserved just at the verge of decomposition.
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