Saturday, July 23, 2011

Movie review – “Dark Journey” (1937) **

Vivien Leigh would have made a terrific wartime spy – so gorgeous, captivating and a good actor – so she’s well cast as a double agent during World War One. This was her first lead role (she’d recently impressed in Fire Over England) and the charisma is already there, although she is a bit awkward and inexperienced, and I never quite bought it that she and Conrad Veit were into each other. He’s a spy for the Germans and they duel in Stockholm and Switzerland. 
 
It’s a complicated plot when it might have been better going for the emotion of the central conception – spies in love is a great idea but underdeveloped. There’s also a lack of thrills and suspense. I did enjoy the unshowy finale on a ship with the wind blowing and guns going off – very British action movie, if that makes sense.

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