Dive into one of the most underrated 3-D efforts of all time.
Although its reputation today remains as quiet as when it first disappeared from theaters after release, the 1953 thriller noir Inferno deserves every bit of attention it has received in the years since. The film is a masterclass on how to successfully blend two of the movies’ most beloved genres, film noir and westerns, giving equal space to both. Added to the mix are the then-revolutionary advances of technicolor, cinemascope and 3D wizardry, which were never put to better use during this, their early heyday. All of the above are simplistically, yet electrifyingly wrapped up in a crackling cat and mouse tale under the guise of an elevated B-movie that is every ounce entertaining.
Set in the Mojave desert, Inferno opens on the beautiful Geraldine (Rhonda Fleming) and her guide/lover Joseph (William Ludigan), who have just hatched a plan to ditch the former’s husband Donald (Robert Ryan). Donald has been left waiting in the desert with a broken leg while the two go and fetch help. The plan is simple; the pair will simply go back to L.A. and wait for Donald to perish in the desert heat as Geraldine pretends to wonder where he could be. Once he realizes what the two have in store for him, however, Donald summons up the will to make it out of the sweltering desert alive.
Made a couple of years after film noir’s prominence, Inferno isn’t short on the many qualities which call the genre straight to mind. The main crux of the story is set up almost as instantly as the credits finish, with the first lines of dialogue having Geraldine literally saying to Joseph, “It’s not like killing him, exactly.” Although shot in glorious 1950s color, Inferno is not short on the darkness and overall intrigue that comes with noir. The plot of the two lovers looking to kill off a wealthy spouse before inevitably turning on each other is as noir things can get. Ryan’s narration, which features lines such as, “By the time I get out of here, I can qualify as a first class campfire girl,” referring to his evolving survival skills, prove to be another noir staple. At the same time, the film’s vast desert setting and blaring sun touch upon the western genre popular in the day.
The movie is perhaps one of the best examples of 1950s 3-D while also being a technicolor spectacular. This is especially evident in the expansive desert locale and the many wide shots throughout, all of which are made for advances such as technicolor and cinemascope. Scenes featuring such acts as dangling from a cliff and a deadly fire prove this to be extremely true, with every action sequence lending itself to 3-D so beautifully. There’s little to refute the notion that Inferno was a B-movie affair purely made to capitalize on new cinematic technology. Yet the film’s combined elements meant Inferno ends up working on more levels than anyone had even anticipated, as the movie eventually becomes a visually captivating race between Ryan and the two lovers, with the audience eager to see who will ultimately prevail.
Inferno presents its leading man with one of the greatest acting exercises for any screen actor. The role is essentially a one-man show during most of Ryan’s screen time. The result is a uniquely brave performance from the actor which allows him to be raw, open, and fearless. As his scheming wife, Fleming nails the dilemma of a woman caught in a situation that goes against her nature, expertly showing Geraldine’s devastating realization of what she’s done as well as channeling the fear of getting caught.
Few films could do what Inferno does so effortlessly. The film typifies not just beloved and well-defined genres and cinematic innovations, but in doing so, melds the eras in which they would come to symbolize. Even the presence of the movie’s femme fatale represented the era of the ‘50s as Geraldine is shown to be a woman who feels uneasy and somewhat remorseful for the act she’s committing, trying to instead justify it by telling herself she’s simply not saving her husband. The film scores credibility and some great thrills by making sure its hero experiences most of the elements such as wildlife, falling boulders, and diminishing supplies. Exciting and suspenseful, Inferno’s function as a movie about a man learning how to be resourceful and utilize his natural instincts, which help keep him alive longer than he should be, deserves much better than its gotten.
The Package
Apart from a commentary track featuring Ryan’s daughter, the main feature on Twilight Time’s re-issue of the film is the short documentary A New Dimension of Noir: Filming Inferno in 3-D. Made in 2008, the extra features comments from Fleming, noir expert Eddie Muller, and historian Robert Osborne, all of whom sing Inferno’s many praises.
Final Thought
Inferno is a cinematic milestone and a movie marvel in more ways than other films of its kind.
Inferno is now available on Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
