In a way, Joseph Losey's Blind Date begins very similar to Welles' The Trial, in that our main protagonist, Jan, finds himself confronted by a group of men, who happen to be police in this case, with little understanding as to the nature of the inquiries. Jan, a poor artist type, is caught in an upscale cottage by police, where a woman lies murdered. Stunned by the death of his lover, Jaqueline, Jan tries desperately to convince the police, headed by hard-nosed Inspector Morgan, that he is not responsible for the murder. Blind Date is a meticulous, mystery film that photographed in a very vintage Losey-type style, using great motivated camera movements and direction that can only be described as pinpoint and detailed in its approach. All the evidence at the crime scene suggests that Jan is responsible for Jacqueline's death, yet the opening sequence of the film in which Jan Van Rooven is seen in a melancholic light, skipping through the streets to an upbeat jazz score, on his way to visit Jacqueline suggests to the viewer that he is in fact innocent of such crimes. The film has some interesting anecdotes on social class, and how things are dealt with differently among the classes, the film is not as pensive thematically as some of Losey's other work. That being said, this is still a solid mystery thriller, though I think the film loses some of it's steam off of the phenomenal, gripping 15 minutes or so. 7.5/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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