In the case of this fun British melodrama, that happens to several people, and oh what a great cast and production design surrounds that theme. Eric Portman, Greta Gynt, Dennis Price, and Jack Warner are all fantastic with Portman and Gynt a married couple who are separated due to his business trip away for 6 months. That leads her to have flings on the side, and when Portman discovers that she's been unfaithful with Price, he sets up a delicious plot of revenge that will leave two people dead.
The opening scene between Portman and Price is lengthy and well written, something out of those old fashioned style melodramas where good manners doesn't hide the fact that someone in the scene is very evil. In this case, the motivations for what they do is quite understandable but the message they use are truly heinous. The fact that they seem to get away with this crime only serves to trip them up and leads to a second plot of revenge that even the most astute of detectives would have a difficult time unraveling.
The detective in this case is Warner, utilizing the presence of the sister of the first victim to Garner enough evidence to show that what appears to be proof of somebody else's guilt is false. Everything seems to be settled, but one of the characters puts into motion another plot and that creates a delicious last reel and a sensational exit for that character. The viewer will be transfixed by the art direction and photography (along with the music) which are all stunning. This is sophisticated society at its most decadent and its most cunning, terrifically written and directed, and above all brilliantly acted. Certainly there are some aspects of that are a bit farfetched, but that is a minor complaint. This is a story and film I would love to see done as a stage play.
The opening scene between Portman and Price is lengthy and well written, something out of those old fashioned style melodramas where good manners doesn't hide the fact that someone in the scene is very evil. In this case, the motivations for what they do is quite understandable but the message they use are truly heinous. The fact that they seem to get away with this crime only serves to trip them up and leads to a second plot of revenge that even the most astute of detectives would have a difficult time unraveling.
The detective in this case is Warner, utilizing the presence of the sister of the first victim to Garner enough evidence to show that what appears to be proof of somebody else's guilt is false. Everything seems to be settled, but one of the characters puts into motion another plot and that creates a delicious last reel and a sensational exit for that character. The viewer will be transfixed by the art direction and photography (along with the music) which are all stunning. This is sophisticated society at its most decadent and its most cunning, terrifically written and directed, and above all brilliantly acted. Certainly there are some aspects of that are a bit farfetched, but that is a minor complaint. This is a story and film I would love to see done as a stage play.