Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Josephina Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

mark.waltz There's terrific pretty much everything in this exotic film noir where Robert Mitchum does detective work, Jane Russell does vocal work, and William Bendix does wisecrack work. Unfortunately, you get to know as much about quiet Mitchum that you do about the fiery Jane and the bombastic Bill. This is mostly set on a cruiser from Hong Kong to Macao where Mitchum tries to break up a crime ring and finds all sorts of trouble along the way. Exotic settings and non stop action don't really create a fleshed out plot, and for the three stars (and a decent supporting cast), it's a disappointing entry in the career of the legendary Josef Von Sternberg. There are many great moments, but moments do not add up to a great film no matter how exciting they are. Highlights include Russell singing several songs (most notably "One For My Baby") and Mitchum playing cat and mouse with the bad guys. Gloria Grahame has a truly pointless supporting role, coming in a very busy year for her, but she's not even substantial to the story even with prominent billing. The performances are all decent, but there's little history or motivation given to their characters which is the real reason I consider this one a let down. Considering the time that this was made at RKO, it's obvious that scripts were being rushed out with little regards to detail, and this suffers from being a complete missed opportunity.

atlasmb I am not usually a fan of Mitchum or Russell. But I enjoyed them in this film.The tone is noir-like, but light. The characters are interesting. Bendix and Grahame performed well, though a comment on this site says that Gloria Grahame intentionally overacted to get back at Hughes for making her appear in this film.But I only enjoyed the film until Grahame allows Mitchum to escape. After that, there is a foot chase that is hokey for so many reasons. (I note that one reviewer thought the chase was the highlight of the film, but we do not agree.) Why does a tin can suddenly fall off an awning when Mitchum passes beneath it? Was it really necessary to place a black cat behind Mitchum in one shot? The cat-and-mouse chase seems so contrived, because there is no continuity and the actions of the pursuers and the pursued do not seem remotely connected or real. It seems like the director was trying to mimic the style of Welles, but does not pull it off, in my opinion.

MartinHafer Following the success of "The Big Steal" and "His Kind of Woman", RKO decided to make a very, very similar sort of film with many of the same actors--hoping to once again hit it big in the box office. Robert Mitchum starred in all these films and they took his co-stars from these films (William Bendix and Jane Russell) and tossed in the same sort of story. Because of this, it's pretty easy to mix this film up with the others--I know I did after seeing all three. Now this is NOT to say that "Macao" is a bad film--it's just a case where there wasn't a whole lot that was terribly original. Once again, Mitchum is in a foreign land and has a vague and possibly shady past and once again he's dealing with underworld figures.The film begins with the three stars about to arrive in the Portuguese colony of Macao. Oddly, however, no one seems the least bit Portuguese! Anyway, Russell lifts Mitchum's wallet--making it hard for him to gain admittance to the city or afford to stay there. So, eventually Mitchum and Russell hook up with a mobster (Brad Dexter) and you never know at the time whether Mitchum is a crook, a wannabe crook, a cop or just some noble guy. And, like the previous films, by the end, Mitchum gets the girl, defeats evil and lives happily ever after...just like his other films.Good acting but a retread from start to finish. It's well worth watching but just doesn't meet the standards of the other films.

moonspinner55 Cheeky, compact crime-drama in an exotic locale off the southern coast of China. Former Army Lieutenant Robert Mitchum, on the run from the law, winds up in the gambling and jewel-smuggling town of Macao without his wallet--seems pack-up-and-go lounge singer Jane Russell has fleeced him on the boat coming over from Hong Kong! Luckily, Mitchum becomes friendly with 'salesman' William Bendix, who is actually working to bring in the crime boss responsible for the death of an international police officer. Very tight and entertaining piece doesn't waste any time getting started. Some of the sloppy editing in the early stages fails to shape the scenes, but director Josef von Sternberg makes up for this with quick pacing and colorful asides. As for Russell, she's a stitch either working some very sarcastic dialogue or warbling seductive tunes down at the local gambling house. Gloria Grahame, as the boss's girl, wants Jane outta town fast--and it's easy to see why! *** from ****