Dudley Nichols is a long-time screenwriter- lots of Hawks and Ford in the filmography including Air Force and Stagecoach– it’s telling the Eugene O’Neill’s name gets top billing (from his play of course)
It’s a fringy recommendation—all acting and writing—Michael Redgrave is the standout (he’s carrying scars of the war with him and going mad with guilt) to me but Raymond Massey and Rosalind Russell are superb as well. Kirk Douglas is pretty much a pretty face and empty suit here.
Great shot to end the prologue coming up from behind in a slow tracking shot
One of those “fallen Great families” films like Welles Ambersons
Feels stagebound for sure
Russell’s ego (shes famous/infamous for it) could be the reason why she plays the daughter of Katina Paxinou who is only 7 years older. I wouldn’t mention it but it takes you out of the film a bit
It’s a dog-eat-dog, scheming nihilistic world- Von Trier, Greek tragedy (this is heavy Oedipal) Shakespeare and Kurosawa would be fine next to this play by O’Neill. It’s actually pretty common in 1947 in film noir (which this is not)
[…] Mourning Becomes Electra– D. Nichols […]