ThiefHott Too much of everything

VividSimon Simply Perfect

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Aiden Melton The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

dglink A first-rate film noir, with echoes of "Laura" and "Double Indemnity," Fritz Lang's "The Woman in the Window" opens with psychology professor Richard Wanley, played by Edward G. Robinson, lecturing a class on homicide. Then, at Grand Central Station, like Tom Ewell in "The Seven Year Itch," Robinson sends his wife and two kids off on a summer vacation; with the family away, he sits over a drink at his men's club and discusses settling into a quiet middle age with his cronies, District Attorney Raymond Massey and physician Edmund Breon. However, unlike the lecherous Ewell, all three gentlemen agree that beautiful women and the fast life are in their past. However, in a scene reminiscent of "Laura," Robinson is drawn in fascination to the portrait of a beautiful woman in a gallery window. When the model miraculously materializes at his side, the professor is drawn into a downward spiral of murder and blackmail.Robinson is excellent as the conservative family man, who is trapped in an expanding web of events beyond his control. As Alice Reed, a dark-haired beauty with no visible means of support, Joan Bennet is a seductive siren in sequined black. When she lures Robinson back to her luxurious apartment to see more sketches by the portrait artist, the satin sheets and pillows reflected in a wall mirror behind her bed suggest that a profession that is more lucrative than artists' model. Unfortunately, Robinson lingers too long in her lair, and unexpected events engulf the pair, who begin to distrust each other. However, Bennet is more than seductress and reveals a vulnerability beneath the femme fatale. The fine performances of Robinson and Bennett are matched by Dan Duryea as Heidt, an odious slimeball who attempts blackmail.The velvety cinematography by Milton Krasner is classic black-and-white film noir, with rainy nights, slick wet streets, and shadowy interiors. Produced and well written by Nunnally Johnson, from a novel by J.H. Wallis, "The Woman in the Window" is tautly directed by Fritz Lang; minor events, like dropping a dime, forgetting a hat, a smiling cop, increase the suspense. Unfortunately, not as well known or seen as other film noir classics, "The Woman in the Window" deserves more attention for its sharp script, lush cinematography, and peerless performances.

elvircorhodzic THE WOMAN IN WINDOW is pretty interesting mystery melodrama. I think the script is very good and sophisticated so that the unusual and satirical way circumscribes a criminal story. I am aware of the fact that the last scenes of the film divided audiences. I'm thrilled. The original and a little magic.I'm sure it's a surprise that brings the end of the film in most people turned into disappointment. Classic denouement murder in this case no. Mr. Lang and his team were well played. The story is simple. Acting is at a high level.Edward G. Robinson as Professor Richard Wanley is simply good. His appearance will not leave anyone breathless, but it's hard to find a complaint. Simply good. Joan Bennett as Alice Reed has afforded us a very good performance. A woman came out of the image. Impressive is it seen as a frightened and vulnerable woman on one side and a very skillful and enthusiastic negotiator on the other side. Raymond Massey as Dist. Atty. Frank Lalor was in a little satirical police investigation flawless. Dan Duryea as Heidt/Tim, the Doorman is very good in the role of the blackmailer. The dog who smelled burnt. It would be wonderful if this film misses a classic villain. But I am satisfied with the fact that the only villain paid with his life for something he did not do.This film works honestly. Why dream would not be honest? Elaboration is infallible. The focus is on the investigation of the murder, in which indirectly participate killer himself. Uncertainty is a constant. Awakening is certain.

Christopher Reid Edward G. Robinson is a quiet, friendly professor who sometimes lectures on murder. One night, his friends discuss the fact that they're too old to go on any "adventures" anymore. Lately he has been fascinated by a portrait of a lady in a street window. One night, he is admiring the painting again and then sees a real woman appear in the reflection next to it, like something out of a dream. But he turns and she's really standing there. Even though he knows he "shouldn't", they go out for a drink. The movie seems harmless enough, a lonely older man befriending a younger lady. And then something happens and they're in a tricky situation. He hesitates to call the police. Perhaps he should have.Based on the plot, you would guess the director was Hitchcock (but it's Fritz Lang who does an excellent job here). It's exactly his kind of movie. An innocent man gets mixed up in some nasty business. He just wants out but he's stuck and the pressure builds on him. He becomes overcome with guilt and worries so much that the police will find him out.In this movie, the professor meets a detective working on the case and hears the details of exactly what they've found out. Your heart falls into the pit of your stomach when you realise how much they've figured out and so quickly. He stumbles with his words a number of times, nearly giving himself up. He is not stupid, he is gripped by intense paranoia and uneasiness. There is awkward humour as he and the police joke about him having committed the act. In a couple of instances, he seems to be trying to get caught, he just wants it to be over. The threat is worse than the thing itself.It's a curious trick of the mind that the word "murder" comes up in other reviews. A murder has to be planned and that clearly wasn't the case here. Robinson feels guilty about trying to cover up an accident but then that guilt seems to turn it into a murder for a lot of people (including the character himself) and they start to see him as an evil criminal. He is innocent except for trying to cover up what happened and avoid going to court and explaining the truth.I greatly enjoyed this movie. It had many surprises and the tension was high all the way through. There is an instance where a woman tries to poison a man. It avoids clichés, the focus is on whether he suspects or not and we can't tell. The movie is not about the fates of the characters or what they deserve. It's not about murder or the police. It's about the way lies grow and come back to haunt you. The psychology of guilt, how it never fades and constantly eats away at you. The way the truth is usually inescapable. The harshness of the outside world and how difficult it is to outsmart people. How impossible it is to get away with a crime.The focus of the movie is Robinson's state of mind. He is a fly caught in a web waiting for the spider to slowly, inevitably eat him up. We feel his guilt, his dread, his relief and his hope as they cycle between each-other. We don't want him to get caught (although he should have called the police) but it seems that will be his only escape from the unbearable guilt and apprehension.

Michael O'Keefe Fritz Lang directs this fulfilling film noir about a straight-laced college psychology professor entering into a surprising dalliance while his family is away. Richard Manley(Edward G. Robinson)sees the portrait of a beautiful woman, Alice(Joan Bennett), and lands in a world of hurt, when he meets the model and she invites him up to her apartment for a drink. It becomes more than one drink; there seems to be thoughts of romance, but Alice's jealous boyfriend(Arthur Loft) arrives and goes into a rage assaulting the couple. In self defense the professor puts a pair of scissors in the back of his attacker. Now there is the problem of disposing of the body. It gets a bit dicey, because Manley's best friend,(Raymond Massey), happens to be the D.A. working the murder case. And for more suspense, a blackmailer(Dan Duryea)slinks into the mix.Very crisp black & white with just the right atmosphere, off and on rain showers. The story line of forbidden and doomed love is what movies are made of. Robinson is in top form and Bennett is absolutely beautiful. I'm a sucker for classic movies like this.