Detour

Movie Information

In Brief: Some have called Edgar G. Ulmer’s Detour (1945) the ultimate example of film noir. While I wouldn’t necessarily go that far, it is unquestionably a tour de force and a nigh-unassailable classic of the genre. A Poverty Row cheapie shot in six days on a practically nonexistent budget, Detour bears all the hallmarks of classic film noir; deep shadows and even shadier characters, a salacious and minimalistic plot, a disreputable protagonist and a femme fatale. Ulmer’s compositions are most likely indebted to his time working with Murnau, and the influence does this film some substantial favors. Ulmer’s oeuvre is uneven in places, but when he was on he was on, and this film is possibly his best and certainly my favorite of his films.
Score:

Genre: Film Noir
Director: Edgar G. Ulmer
Starring: Tom Neal, Ann Savage, Claudia Drake
Rated: NR

The Asheville Film Society will screen Detour on Tuesday, Jan 23, at 7 p.m. at the Grail Moviehouse, hosted by Xpress movie critic Scott Douglas.

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