James and his friend, Edward, are on a leisurely camping trip in Wyoming when they witness a car crash. The two men rush to the aid of John and Red, who turn out to be escaped bank robbers, who've stolen $350,000 in cash. John and Red don't plan on keeping any witnesses, shooting Edward dead but James survives by complete accident, being knocked unconscious instead of fatally shot. James awakens to discover the stolen money was accidentily left behind. Fearing the gunmen will soon return, he runs off into the wilderness, losing the bag of money in a blizzard. James arrives in a small town only to discover that he is the prime suspect in his friends murder, forcing him to change his name and live on the run, constantly being pursued by the police and bank robbers alike. Jacques Tourneur's Nightfall is a well-crfated noir that is impressively well-paced, offering enough mystery and intrigue to keep it gripping from start to finish. A narrative that could certainly be described as a B-movie concept, Nightfall uses its likeable ex-veteran James, played perfectly by Aldo Ray, to create a gripping portrait of an everyday man caught in a situation that is way over his head. James is a sympathetic character, a man whose all alone due to terrible circumstances. He is very likeable, and yet the story doesn't make that clear at first, never tipping its hat too early as to what obstacles its main protagonist is facing. Being directed by Jacques Tourneur, Nightfall is a supremely well-shot film that juxtaposes its pulpy storyling with beautiful composions. Nightfall is a slick, underappreciated noir that features a sympathetic everyday man and enough hardboiled oneliners to make any fan of the genre more than happy.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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