If you like atmospheric B&W film noirs from the '40s dealing with the Nazi threat, look no further than MAN HUNT.
WALTER PIDGEON plays a big-game hunter who fixes on stalking no less a prey than Adolph Hitler. However, it's this first scene that is most vexing--because he's stalking his prey with empty chambers in his gun. Then, as Hitler comes perfectly into view through his finder, he changes his mind and decides to shoot to kill. Inexplicable behavior, since later on in the film he confesses that he DID set out to shoot the Fuhrer, not just play the stalking game. He's too late in firing the gun because he's overtaken by a Nazi officer.
Pidgeon plays a cat-and-mouse game with monocled Nazi GEORGE SANDERS, who decides to let him go, even though Pidgeon refuses to sign a confession that he attempted to kill Hitler on assignment from the British government. He sets him free in the Bavarian forest and from then on it becomes a tale of pursuit as Sanders and other henchman are intent on tracking him down for the kill. Sanders reveals that he's a big-game hunter too.
Along the way, Pidgeon runs into JOAN BENNETT (a girl of the streets with a heart of gold), whom Lang manages to direct skillfully despite an occasional lapse of Cockney accent. RODDY McDOWALL turns up as a as a helpful cabin boy who helps Pidgeon escape detection and JOHN CARRADINE is the sword-cane man who stays hot on Pidgeon's heels.
A very effective London underground chase showing railroad trains and tunnels is well staged and recreated among the shadowy interiors of Arthur Miller's fantastic set design. All of the exteriors in London are lit so as to fit extremely well into the film noir environment mirrored in the cobbled streets of foggy London town. Alfred Newman's subtle score increases the tension. The newly minted DVD reveals all of the crisp B&W photography in great detail and adds to the overall effectiveness of the gripping story.
One can quibble with some of the character motivations and the instant attraction of street girl Bennett to Pidgeon's British gentleman, or her willingness to stick closely to him under the strange and dangerous circumstances, but, hey, this is a movie and a darned suspenseful one at that. In this respect, it reminded me of Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps."
One drawback: Sanders never manages to be more than a one-dimensional figure as the monocled Nazi who predicts: "Tomorrow the world." Although fluent in German, he underplays his role with no particular distinction, but it doesn't matter too much because most of the spotlight is on Pidgeon and Bennett.
Wartime propaganda rears its head toward the film's climax, but that's understandable given that America had not yet participated in the war until six months after the film's release. MAN HUNT was intended to arouse interest and knowledge of Germany's criminal tactics and intent.
WALTER PIDGEON plays a big-game hunter who fixes on stalking no less a prey than Adolph Hitler. However, it's this first scene that is most vexing--because he's stalking his prey with empty chambers in his gun. Then, as Hitler comes perfectly into view through his finder, he changes his mind and decides to shoot to kill. Inexplicable behavior, since later on in the film he confesses that he DID set out to shoot the Fuhrer, not just play the stalking game. He's too late in firing the gun because he's overtaken by a Nazi officer.
Pidgeon plays a cat-and-mouse game with monocled Nazi GEORGE SANDERS, who decides to let him go, even though Pidgeon refuses to sign a confession that he attempted to kill Hitler on assignment from the British government. He sets him free in the Bavarian forest and from then on it becomes a tale of pursuit as Sanders and other henchman are intent on tracking him down for the kill. Sanders reveals that he's a big-game hunter too.
Along the way, Pidgeon runs into JOAN BENNETT (a girl of the streets with a heart of gold), whom Lang manages to direct skillfully despite an occasional lapse of Cockney accent. RODDY McDOWALL turns up as a as a helpful cabin boy who helps Pidgeon escape detection and JOHN CARRADINE is the sword-cane man who stays hot on Pidgeon's heels.
A very effective London underground chase showing railroad trains and tunnels is well staged and recreated among the shadowy interiors of Arthur Miller's fantastic set design. All of the exteriors in London are lit so as to fit extremely well into the film noir environment mirrored in the cobbled streets of foggy London town. Alfred Newman's subtle score increases the tension. The newly minted DVD reveals all of the crisp B&W photography in great detail and adds to the overall effectiveness of the gripping story.
One can quibble with some of the character motivations and the instant attraction of street girl Bennett to Pidgeon's British gentleman, or her willingness to stick closely to him under the strange and dangerous circumstances, but, hey, this is a movie and a darned suspenseful one at that. In this respect, it reminded me of Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps."
One drawback: Sanders never manages to be more than a one-dimensional figure as the monocled Nazi who predicts: "Tomorrow the world." Although fluent in German, he underplays his role with no particular distinction, but it doesn't matter too much because most of the spotlight is on Pidgeon and Bennett.
Wartime propaganda rears its head toward the film's climax, but that's understandable given that America had not yet participated in the war until six months after the film's release. MAN HUNT was intended to arouse interest and knowledge of Germany's criminal tactics and intent.