#921: BORZAGE, Frank: Moonrise (1948)

BORZAGE, Frank (United States)
Moonrise [1948]
Spine #921
Blu-ray

A small-town fable about violence and redemption, Moonrise is the final triumph of Frank Borzage, one of Hollywood's most neglected masters. Stigmatized from infancy by the fate of his criminal father, young Danny (Dane Clark) is bruised and bullied until one night, in a fit of rage, he kills his most persistent tormentor. As the police close in around him, Danny makes a desperate bid for the love of the dead man's fiancée (Gail Russell), a schoolteacher who sees the wounded soul behind his aggression. With this postwar comeback, Borzage recaptured the inspiration that had animated his long and audacious early career, marrying the lyrical force of his romantic sensibility with the psychological anguish of film noir, in a stunning vindication of faith in the power of love.

90 minutes

Black & White
Monaural
1:37:1 aspect ratio

Criterion Release 2018

Director/Writer

Based on the novel Moonrise by Theodore Strauss.

Screenplay by Charles Haas.

Frank Borzage was 54 when he directed Moonrise.

Borzage was quite successful during the silent era, scoring big with Humoresque (1920), and later 7th Heaven (1927), which won the very first Academy Award for Best Director.

Other Borzage films in the Collection:

#1072: History Is Made At Night (1937)

The Film

From the opening scene, one might get the impression that this is going to be a real film noir ... and one would be mistaken. Shot in intense black and whites, it should have been a noir. But Borzage is too flexible to get trapped in any type of genre here; there is lots of subtle, facial acting — and the ending is certainly the antithesis to noir.

Republic Studios is known for its B-picture factory. Normally, they would spend about $50,000 — but here they gave Borzage a budget of $850,000. Although almost completely shot in studio, the film moves along nicely and is believable.

Dane Clark is Danny Hawkins, a victim of bullying since childhood, who kills his primary tormentor, Jerry Sykes (Lloyd Bridges). Gail Russell (what a sad story) is Gilly Johnson, a schoolteacher who — over time — falls for Danny.

Rex Ingram is great as Mose Jackson, a Black man with the voice of God. An usually woke role for 1948.

Film Rating (0-60):

50

The Extras

The Booklet

Eight-fold foldout poster featuring an essay by critic Philip Kemp.

Commentary

None.

Conversation

between author Hervé Dumont (Frank Borzage: The Life and Films of a Hollywood Romantic) and film historian Peter Cowie.

Interesting conversation.

Skimpy extras.

Extras Rating (0-40):

30

50 + 30 =

80

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