Saw two WW2 haunted film noirs back to back last night, both brilliant.
Key Largo - Bogart is a Captain scrubbing around for work post war. Edward G Robinson is a scummy gangster who's been doing fine thanks. Their confrontation takes considerably longer to brew that the metaphorical hurricane that rips through the movie but the catharsis is well worth the wait. Throw in great actors like Lionel Barrymore, Claire Trevor and, of course Lauren Bacall and you've got a winner. Not quite as great though as......
Ride the Pink Horse - Man, I freaking loved this film. Starts out like Bad Day at Black Rock with an incongruously dressed noir guy arriving in a border town which is celebrating its fiesta. Robert Montgomery brilliantly portrays the toughness and the humanity of this guy, who,like Bogie, has been displaced after the war. He's out to blackmail a mob boss who killed his pal and who's got fat off racketeering while honest men have been dying for their country (sound familiar?). A young peasant girl marks our hero for death and tries to save him. He befriends a Mexican carousel owner (featuring the eponymous pink horse) who represents goodness in the most unsaccharine way. An FBI agent is also on the scumbags tail. The tension is incredible - you really care about these characters. The film drips in atmosphere. My highest recommendation - you all must see this.
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