Robert Montgomery's *The Lady in the Lake* (1947) is not a great film, but it deserves a review as the only Hollywood studio movie filmed entirely with the "subjective camera" - that is, we the audience see the action through the eyes of the protagonist! Not quite entirely - there is a brief explanatory introduction and epilogue in which our hero addresses us (the camera) directly - but it's still a mighty impressive feat, when you think of the limits it imposes; the action must take place in something like real time, there are enormously long takes, the actors must play directly to the camera, and - last but not least - painstaking arrangements must be made for maneuvering those lumbering 1940's cameras into rapidly changing angles and perspectives. None of the these problems are entirely overcome in our film (it would be incredible if they had been), and one can see how modern steadicams would enormously simplify the technical challenge. All the same, both Robert Montgomery, who put the idea to MGM, then directed and starred in it, and MGM itself, which greenlighted the project, deserve a thumbs-up for the attempt.

"Subjective camera" filming was not a total novelty in 1947 Hollywood. Orson Welles had suggested such an approach to a film version of Conrad's novel "Heart of Darkness" to RKO in 1940 (before he devoted himself to a little project called *Citizen Kane*), and several lengthy point-of-view takes can be seen in his *Magnificent Ambersons* (1942). Montgomery's original idea was to use the technique for an adaptation of John Galsworthy's novel "Escape"; and the technique WAS used by another 1947 'escape' film, Warner Bros.' *Dark Passage*, for the opening 45 minutes - which featured a fugitive's-eye-view of a prison break. MGM instead steered Montgomery on to its adaptation of "The Lady in the Lake", one of Raymond Chandler's popular "Philip Marlowe" detective novels; keep in mind the phenomenal film success of another Chandler/Marlowe vehicle, *The Big Sleep*, in 1946.

When you think of it, film noir is peculiarly suitable for the subjective camera; the plot plays out almost entirely from the perspective of the hard-boiled detective protagonist, indeed often narrated by him in the original novel. One consequence of the technique, of course, is that we the audience don't see the hero's face (except in artfully constructed "reflection" shots in mirrors or windows), although we do glimpse his hands and arms occasionally (rarely any other part of his body). The subjective camera does offer a few advantages; our hero can mumble important things under his breath which only he (and we) can hear, and the presentation of two-sided telephone conversations is no problem. Physical interaction is more tricky. Given his profession, we expect Marlowe to take his share of lumps, and it's a bit disconcerting to to see fists thrown right at us (i.e. the camera). Even stranger - and more than a bit laughable - are kisses; boy, those must have been tough scenes for Marlowe's lady friends! Naturally enough for the period, Marlowe puffs on a few ciggies, and I can think of no better advertisement against smoking than the clouds that befog the camera lens. But there are some extremely effective applications of the technique. You've never experienced a car chase until you've viewed it from the perspective of the pursued driver - and even more when he rolls the car! And the climactic scene, when our hero, held at gunpoint by the baddie, desperately bluffs him while he watches the police silently climb through the window behind him, is certainly clever.

The acting? It's hard to know how to critique Robert Montgomery's role, since his voice is usually all we have to go on. Although Montgomery had cut his teeth on tough-guy roles (nominated for Oscars for his portrayal of both a killer in *Night Must Fall* (1937) and a boxer in *Here Comes Mr. Jordan* (1941), he's no George Raft or Humphrey Bogart. Still, his hard-boiled persona is adequate except for the romantic scenes, where it's very hard to see how his Marlowe could hold any attraction for women (I'm not a woman , but that's certainly my impression). For her part Audrey Totter, who plays the main love interest, seems to struggle with the subjective camera concept at the start, though she warms up later in the film. On the other hand, Lila Leeds as a sexy receptionist is genuinely alluring. TV buffs will chuckle to see Lloyd Nolan, who played elderly avuncular types in sitcoms in the 60's and 70's, portraying a treacherous rat-faced cop here.

Anyone who has read (or seen films of) Raymond Chandler's novels will know that it's characterization and atmosphere, not his convoluted plots, which give his stories their zing. Such is the case here. After the prologue, in which we actually see Marlowe (Montgomery), thereafter we assume his perspective as he makes his way to the office of a pulp magazine editor (Totter) who brusquely informs him that they can't use the story he submitted. After a few barbed exchanges (she's pretty hard-boiled herself), however, it emerges that her millionaire boss (Leon Ames), who recognizes that Marlowe is a professional detective, wants to hire him to tail his wife, who he suspects is cheating on him. Marlowe has hardly accepted the case when the wife's body is fished out of a lake (hence the title). Marlowe, as usual, is immediately embroiled with the police (Tom Tully, Nolan) and soon finds himself sorting through the corpses and plot twists as much to clear himself as to serve his client.

It's striking how the subjective camera, used extensively in two 1947 Hollywood films, disappears from mainstream cinema thereafter. Not without a trace, though. Alfred Hitchcock was almost certainly influenced by these films, most obviously in his film *Rope* (1948), famous for its long takes; and Hitchcock, the master of film editing, made effective use of the technique in such later works as *Vertigo* (1958) and *Psycho* (1960). And occasional use is still made of it; remember the final "remembrance" scene in *Titanic*? I'm surprised none of the more enterprising European cinematographers have given it a try, that I know of. Anyway, it makes *The Lady in the Lake* that much more historically interesting.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
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