Ministry of Fear (1944) July 17, 2006
Posted by jackal in : Films, Film Noir , trackbackI’m a big fan of Ray Milland. He may not have had the greatest range in the world as a leading man, but he has a certain class, deportment, and an easy debonair charm - like a watered-down Cary Grant sans comic timing. Perhaps the most appealing thing about Milland is his role in “Dial M for Murder” – if he can pull Grace Kelly, there’s hope for every man …
In Fritz Lang’s “Ministry of Fear” (from the novel by Graham Greene) the setting is wartime
England and Stephen Neale (Milland) has just been released from an asylum. Determined to reintegrate into society, he heads to the local train station. Before his train to London can arrive, however, Neale is sidetracked by a friendly-looking village fete. It starts out as the prototypical old-fashioned English event, but gradually turns into the bizarre: the little old ladies are eager for Neale to visit the fortune teller. She tells him the correct weight to bet at the win-the-cake stall, but shortly after Neale wins it, a surly Dan Duryea turns up, and the little old ladies are suddenly deperate to get their prize back. Thus begins possibly the only film noir where the MacGuffin is a homemade cake, and one made with eggs, you know …
After an exciting, terrifically executed footchase and gunfight in the countryside during a German bombing raid, Neale finds himself back in London, where he sets about investigating the mysterious group responsible for organizing that strange village fete and nearly getting him killed. Soon he finds himself accused of murder, and plunged into a swirling mystery of deception, Nazi agents and war secrets, all played out among the day-to-day dangers of the Blitz.
I saw this film for the first time only recently, and enjoyed it immensely. Lang creates a lingering sense of dread throughout, as Neale moves alone through the foggy, bombed-out streets of London, uncovering a secret enemy network hidden beneath the veneer of respectable society. He can’t approach the police, because of his criminal record, and everyone he meets is a potential enemy - even the beautiful and resourceful Carla Hilfe (Marjorie Reynolds), who becomes his chief ally. I admired the way her character was written; even as Neale grows closer to her, we’re not quite sure where her true allegiances lie.
The psychological complexity of Milland’s character is hinted at in the opening scenes – why is he in an asylum? His character is only developed in a couple of scenes, though; chief among them is the scene in which Neal, caught in an air-raid and forced to a shelter with Carla, confesses the reason for his incarceration in an asylum: his terminally ill wife committed suicide with poison that Neale bought for her. It was a mercy killing, and Neale was spared a jail sentence, but is clearly still haunted by the experience. Beyond this scene, however, we don’t get a great deal more insight into his psyche – something which might add depth to the movie. This oversight was one of the few disappointments I felt with the movie, in addition to the tacked-on, utterly superficial ‘happy ending’ scene which closes it.
Those caveats aside, I found this to be top-notch entertainment, with many memorable scenes, most notably a creepy, highly atmospheric fake séance. It’s well-played by the principal cast – including the deliciously slimy villain Dan Duryea, whose role here is unfortunately limited. The audience would have to wait for Woman in the Window and Scarlet Street for Lang to make full use of Duryea’s talents.
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