Robert Wise, 1945
A creepy, effective morality play anchored by one of Boris Karloff's best performances. It also, for a movie that deals so directly with questions of right and wrong, has a surprising and welcome degree of moral ambiguity - and doubly so, when you consider when it was made. It's a little troublesome that no one really attempts the Scottish accent that the setting would suggest. This isn't something that I generally worry too much about, but the dialogue is still peppered with "ayes" and "laddies," so it kind of stands out. Also, the handsome young doctor whom we're obviously meant to identify with barely seems able to muster an emotion. Ever.
The direction and lighting are stylish and shadowy, just the way I like them, with the murder of the street singer as a highlight. It's also always a pleasure to see Karloff and Bela Lugosi on screen together, even if only briefly. I was very pleased with this one.
8/10
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