Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Filmed in 1948, “Lady From Shanghai” was written, directed and produced by the famous Orson Welles (Citizen Kane ring a bell?). Not only that, but Rita Hayworth played the main female character, opposite.. Orson Welles himself. The two were married at the time the movie was filmed, which makes for an interesting background and dynamic, especially since their marriage was on the rocks.

The first line of “Lady From Shanghai” is spoken by Michael O’Hara (Orson Welles). “When I start out to make a fool of myself, there's very little can stop me. If I'd known where it would end, I'd never let anything start, if I'd been in my right mind, that is. But once I'd seen her... I was not in my right mind for quite some time... Some people can smell danger, not me.” Key to this film: pay attention. Listen. Don't underestimate anything that is said or the littlest of details. But if you are familiar with film noir, you will become accustomed to it's unique stereotypes (oxymoron?).

Welles/O'Hara has just met Elsa Bannister (Hayworth), a seductive, beautiful woman that instantly intrigues and attracts Michael. It is as though he is placed in a spell, and like he says, he is not in his right mind. From here on, even so early in the film, Michael's obsession will only grow.

From the beginning of Lady From Shanghai, we are given no background on Michael O’Hara. He has a thick Irish accent, and speaks very gruffly. We never see his house, family, belongings, even a suitcase, and we never meet anyone that Michael knows. We know nothing of his background, although it is uncovered that he has killed a man. However, we are not given any more information. This gives the film a very strange twist.

From the start it is easy to see that Elsa Bannister immediately enchants him. Shortly after the two meet in the park, Michael rescues Elsa from thugs. He finds himself in situations against his better judgment here and throughout the movie. The reason for this is that Michael is drawn in by Elsa's sexuality, and becomes the gullible target of an evil scheme... well, I won't reveal too much more.

Through "Lady from Shanghai", you will learn many of the concepts that make film noir, well, film noir. "Noir" means darkness in one way or another, and you couldn't describe this film any better.

Another component that is almost a requirement of film noir is the temptress, femme fatale, etc. These women are manipulative and deceitful, and this comes like clockwork in the classical film noir movies. They are also a danger to the men (and sometimes women) around them. But of course, the men are quite unknowing.

Film Noir commonly presents women to the viewer as a sexual object, someone to be cautious of, with ulterior motives. The goal is to attain this mysterious object of male desire, usually without having any insight into her true character or personality. This fragile female must be guided by the male character and is always under watch by the men around her. Less often, the woman character is given power, but in order to do so, she usually utilizes her “femininity” to achieve this.

Yet another component of film noir is Film Noir that these films often represents women who are trapped in a relationship with a man. Many times it is common that these relationships are unfavorable because the man treats his wife as though he as ownership of her in a patriarchal manner. One of the features of film noir that partly ties in with this is the heroine frequently having an unstable characterization in the storyline.

There are several odd characters in this film. George Grisby is a strange, crazy, sweaty character who has a strange cackling voice that interjects conversations throughout the film. Other characters are suspicious, or play fragmented and strange roles.

Seeing this film, you'll hear (and learn to despise) one of the character's habits. Instead of calling his wife by her name, the strange character named Arthur calls Elsa “lover” over and over, using a sing-song voice. The acting is so different from that of today, that much of the acting feels very unreal.

At the end of the film, there are scenes that take place in a fun house, which is only a metaphor for the emotions of the characters in the movie. They are experiencing a state of confusion, literally mirrored in distortions and fragments of images. This is the culmination of all the events that have unfolded in the movie. Every scene, prop, person, and so on have been thought out to have some kind of significance.

By the end of the film, all the characters have been unveiled as evil. That's film noir.

This is a great example of a film noir. It truly has the components of the classical film noir. Many times, I found the quality of the film frustrating. Not only is the picture old, but it was purposely made with that darkness that makes it sometimes difficult to watch. There is also the quality (or lack of) sound. I don't know if it was me, but I had some difficulty making out what was being said. It was nothing like the marvels of modern technology. On a personal note, I am not (and I wish I knew how to italicize or bold here) NOT fond of the music used. It felt harsh on the ears and senses.

Then of course, there's the fact that acting, props, and people were very different at the time the movie was filmed. To me, it felt like a whole different and unimaginable world. The actors and actresses in the film were at the height of their careers and these films were often very popular. I was surprised to learn that this film failed at the box office, considering the popularity of Welles and Hayworth.

I think that in watching a film such as "Lady From Shanghai" involves a little bit of an effort on the viewer's part. I found myself struggling to keep track of characters, people, the story, and so on. The murky complexity of the film keeps you on your toes, doing everything but handing things to the viewer on a platter. It requires some thought, and it helped me that I had background in film noir. I think much of this film rang true with Orson Welle's style of writing and producing, as compared to his other films.

This film represented a thriller of it's time. "Lady From Shanghai" is a little bit of cultural history and a reminder of times changing. It's to be appreciated more as a cultural artifact or piece of art, I suppose. What a different world.

Recommended: No

Viewing Format: VHS
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age