The Postman Always Rings Twice [M]

Drifter, Frank Chambers, has a problem: an itch in his feet that can only be scratched by moving from place to place. After a hitchhiking journey, he arrives as a barely thriving roadside diner run by an unkempt old proprietor and his young and beautiful wife, Cora. From the first moment he sees her, Frank is in love, and soon Cora gives in and returns his affections. Their attraction grows so much that they cannot be without each other and soon it becomes apparent that nothing will stand in the way of their being together… not even Cora’s husband. 

Based on the novel by James M. Cain, which I am now hugely eager to find a copy of and add to my library, The Postman Always Rings Twice is a wondrous noir film that’s filled with many unexpected plot twists, an empowering romance, and even dark smatterings of comedy to blow some life into the doomed romance. It’s captivating from the get-go so much so that, for the majority of the duration, the real world around you dissolves and it’s just you, your bed or couch, your television, DVD player, and this film! 

Drifter, Frank Chambers, has a problem: an itch in his feet that can only be scratched by moving from place to place. After a hitchhiking journey, he arrives as a barely thriving roadside diner run by an unkempt old proprietor and his young and beautiful wife, Cora. From the first moment he sees her, Frank is in love, and soon Cora gives in and returns his affections. Their attraction grows so much that they cannot be without each other and soon it becomes apparent that nothing will stand in the way of their being together… not even Cora’s husband. 

There’s always something compelling and captivating about a doomed romance and the one between Cora and Frank is up there with the cream of the crop: Bonnie and Clyde, Tony and Maria, Gill and Adrianna (from Midnight in Paris for those who don’t know), and Romeo and Juliet amongst others. What’s particularly fantastic about Cora and Frank’s romance is that it takes just as many tumbles and turns as the plot with the two going through periods of silent attraction, sexual tension, amorousness, loathing, betrayal, and reconciliation. The whole thing is a superb rollercoaster ride from the moment Cora’s lipstick rolls across the floor to Frank’s feet! 

I have to mention the brilliant direction and mise-en-scene that we’ve got at work here, because absolutely everything in this movie plays a dual role! Mise-en-scene, for those who are unfamiliar with the term, refers to what’s shown within a shot: everything from costumes, to lighting, to the positions in which and where the characters are poised. The mise-en-scene in this movie, particularly in shots where it’s just Cora and Frank have this brilliant sense of foreboding and the mid-shots that are used to frame the scenes create this great idea of imprisonment and surveillance. 

The story is told in one giant flashback with bouts of voice-over narration, archetypal of the noir movement, but the difference to this movie than other noir films is the character of the femme fatale, Cora. Whilst she is ever the mysterious and unreadable seductive woman, her being constantly costumed in white and shot in bright lighting doesn’t paint her as being the sinister seductive creature that feature in most noir films. That and her feelings and attraction towards Frank are absolutely genuine, though throughout the movie seeds of doubt are planted as to the extent of this. 

Lana Turner as Cora delivers a beautiful performance, showing very limited outbursts of emotionally erratic behaviour and indeed being quite unreadable for most of the movie. In her neutrality lies her seductiveness and compelling beauty that causes Frank and the rest of us right along with him to stare at her agog and completely entranced. 

Starring John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cronyn, Leon Ames, Audrey Totter, Jeff York, and Alan Reed, The Postman Always Rings Twice is a superb movie that’s filled with action, murder, romance, drama, plot twists, betrayal, and comedy. I was enthralled and will definitely be trying to find a copy for the collection!