Movie Review Hannah Long – Out of the Past (1947)

Can we actually escape our past? To what extent does our past define us?

Brent talks with Hannah Long about the 1947 film noir ‘Out of the Past’ directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer and Kirk Douglas.

Hannah is a passionate cinephile.  She writes cultural commentary and film criticism for a number of publications including ‘The Despatch’, ‘Angelus News’, ‘The Bulwark’ and ‘First Things’.  

• ((0:15) ‘Out of the Past’ as an example of film noir;
• (2:30) The director and cast;
• (6:30) Mitchum and Douglas;
• (8:15) The book and the screenplay;
• (8:50) Why is this such a great film?
• (9:50) RKO;
• (11:10) What’s the movie about?
• (13:30) Flashback and linear storytelling;
• (18:40) The lighting and photography;
• (20:00) Jeff – a film noir hero?
• (24:15) Jeff’s attempts to escape from the past;
• (26:40) Can we actually escape from our past?
• (27:15) How fatalistic is film noir?
• (29:30) Kathie – a femme fatale;
• (33:30) Jeff and Kathie;
• (36:00) Witt. Why does Witt take Kathie back?
• (37:15) Smoking in the film;
• (38:35) The Production Code;
• (44:15) The Kid – the wisest person in the movie?
• (46:30) Redemption?
• (48:20) Rural America.

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