You’d think I’ve seen Gilda before — it’s a classic. But watching these opening scenes, I have absolutely no recollection of having seen it.
This is a new 4K restoration from Criterion, and it looks… good? The previous scene looked very fuzzy, but this one looks very nice. Perhaps several sources were used?
Not over-restored either.
This scene would probably make more sense if I had any idea what those cards meant in this game.
That’s what I want my hall to look like!
I guess this guy is Glenn Ford? He looks awfully familiar… And I was going to say that he’s not very compelling here, but in a way he’s perfect — he’s playing an asshole who’s not very sympathetic, so… good casting.
Rita!
Schwing!
Heh, he’s auditioning for Perkins’ role in Psycho.
That’s tellin’ him!
Heh.
She’s a singer/songwriter!
That was a nice little ditty.
This is a deeply odd movie. It sometimes seems like a gangster movie, and then it goes all expressionistic like this, and then it’s a musical… It’s very difficult to predict where it’s going — I’ve been 100% wrong every time I thought I knew that it was all about.
But I’m beginning to suspect that it’s just … badly written? That they filmed it without a script or something? It’s so abrupt and watching it it feels like you’ve skipped a reel or two.
Hayworth is a lot of fun in this. I mean, it’s basically just her doing scenes and then some confusing plot happens in other scenes, and then it’s back to her being interesting.
And now they’re doing a voiceover to explain what’s happening all of a sudden? Has that been going all along and I forgot?
Finally Amado mío.
I guess I’ve only heard the Grace Jones version before…
OK, now they’re just padding the movie with a bunch of Hayworth bits? I mean, I don’t mind, but it’s… really weird.
The plot is just… just…
Well, I did like the very last scene, where it all descends into farce. And I did like the way it’s filmed and Hayworth’s performance.
But it’s a big disappointment.
Gilda. Charles Vidor. 1946. ⚃
