The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) – T. Garnett

John Garfield is the drifter, Frank, who takes a job as a handyman for a roadside diner and petrol station run by Nick (Cecil Kelloway), a funny older gent who is married to the much younger Cora (Lana Turner).  Frank can’t resist Cora’s flirtations and impetuously kisses her – soon they are dreaming of what their lives would be like with Nick out of the way.  Most of the film is a long build-up to their murder attempt with Cora sometimes hot and sometimes cold toward Frank.  Is Garfield a sucker? Probably – this is film noir, after all.  He has numerous opportunities to escape the situation (and almost does).  Soon the D. A. (Leon Ames) is on their case, trying to pit them against each other – but lawyer Hume Cronyn handles things.  Or does he?  There are enough twists here, perhaps ironic twists, to keep things interesting – but mostly this is a slow burn, as Garfield’s Frank is defeated by lust and then something different, a fatalistic impulse that draws him to doom like a moth to the flame. The Italian version (Ossessione, 1943) of James M. Cain’s novella is strong but the ‘80s remake with Nicholson and Lange is not.