(Written on September 18th)
The
movie “Key Largo” had all the elements to be a great movie. It had Humprey
Bogart and Lauren Bacall in their glorious years as a couple, both on and off
the screen. John Huston was very popular as one of the most significant
directors during the film noir era in the USA. Edward G. Robinson was one of the viewers’
favorite actors due to his fiery acting, which gave him in a strong presence on
the screen. Richard Brooks, one of the best writers and adapters for the big
screen, co-adapted the play for screenwriting before becoming a notorious
director. And as a fountain of inspiration, there was the figure of Maxell
Anderson, Pulitzer Prize winner, as the writer of the original play. Despite all of these factors in its favor, ultimately
“Key Largo” is a disappointing movie. I
expected much more at the beginning of the film than I actually found at the
end.
The premise
of the film is clear, as are the scenery, the intentions of the characters and
the confrontation. This premise works despite the overuse of close ups of the
innocent face of Lauren Bacall with the purpose of the producers selling her
image to the moviegoers. But the film begins to crumble when the villain,
Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson), makes his entrance. The appearance of this
mysterious man, who had been hiding in his room, was supposed to heighten the suspense
of these characters enclosed in the hotel, but it did not. This villain is scary
in his first scene when he finally presents himself in his bathrobe. But
throughout the dialogues and scenes that follow, as he starts to defy the
others characters he loses all his evilness.
Instead
of showing him as the most powerful weapon of danger against them, the
confrontations of Johnny Rocco with other protagonists reveal him to be a
vulnerable gangster. First it was the discussion with James Temple (Lionel
Barrymore), and old man who moves on his wheelchair. Temple is disrespectful with
Rocco and he screams at him constantly. Rocco has no reaction. Then, Frank
McCloud (Humprey Bogart) is sarcastic towards Rocco and puts the gangster in
the position of a manipulated guy. Later, the image of Rocco as a mobster is
debilitated with the shaving scene. The purpose was to show him as an aggressive
man. It was more suitable for a comedy. The villain tries to be intimidating
with his dialogues but he is weak with his actions. It is not believable.
The dwindling
of Rocco intimidation goes on. After a dirty proposition in her ears, Nora
Temple (Lauren Bacall) spits on Rocco. She spits on a gangster! In any movie
during the thirties and forties, this would be enough reason for an
instantaneous execution. But no, Frank McCloud easily convinces him not to kill
her. It is unbelievable. And last but not least, one of his men, “Toots,”
laughs at the scars on Rocco’s face and he does not retaliate in any way. I
must confess that after these scenes, I, as a viewer, lost my respect for this
gangster. From this moment on, the movie started to falter for me and I could
not buy the rest. With this weak
villain, “Key Largo” blurred as genre movie of film noir.
As a
whole, the plot is interlaced and finally resolves all the causes and consequences
of the kidnapping during the hurricane in South Florida. But during its progress,
it lost its credibility, one of the most important elements for connecting with
the moviegoers.
Additionally
the hint of the romance between the characters of Bogart and Bacall is not subtle,
it is too obvious. It is so evident and shallow like the close ups with a
special lens on the face of Bacall. It was very easy to identify the purpose of
the producers to give her a halo, as a pure woman that needs to be rescued by
the main character. I recognized this manipulation of the public for the
promotion of the romance of Bacall and Bogart out of the studios. The romance was not sincere within this genre.
Nevertheless,
besides the first act, there are other valuables elements in the movie. The
first one is the interpretation of the character Gaye Dawn. Once more, the
actress Claire Trevor gives an image to remember. The character of Gaye Dawn is
the most spontaneous, funny and dramatic. Her alcoholism and her emotional
explosions provide the freshness to the film that lacks in the wilted protagonists.
Claire Trevor in the past gave an excellent characterization in “The Stagecoach”
by John Ford in 1939. She portrayed a
prostitute who must run from her little town into this vehicle. Trevor was an
actress who was believable in the role of outcast women. For this reason, she won the Oscar as Best
Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in “Key Largo”. She deserved
it. Other of the secondary actors who was relevant was Lionel Barrymore, who
played the role of James Temple, the owner of the hotel. His lines and his
interpretation are convincing as the character with the most respectful morals
in this world of film noir. He was the conscience and also the bravest of the captives.
And
finally, the gang of Johnny Rocco is the last of this list of positive elements.
They were frightening and also funny in this feature film. They could provide
more dimensions to their characters in despite of their lack of lines. Nonetheless,
more dialogue was not necessary. Since their appearance in the bar, they clearly
mix their sense of duty towards their boss with the pressure to commit the hijacking
in the hotel. In general terms, while
the stars of the film failed, it was the secondary actors who rescued the
movie.
I am
fan of classic movies and I enjoy them despite the fact that they often times
are outdated. They provide the keys for
a contemporary narrative. I learn from the process of creation behind of them. But “Key Largo”, it doesn’t make the cut. I
will always prefer other Huston movies with Bogart such as, “The Maltese Falcon”
and “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.” Bogart’s characters were more credible
in these two movies. First, he was a wise
detective in “The Maltese Falcon,” and then he was a dangerous miner in “The
Treasure of the Sierra Madre.” In summary the characters of Bogart, Bacall and
Robinson were weak in their construction by Huston and Brooks, and they were
lusterless stars in this movie.