MovieChat Forums > The Reckless Moment (1949) Discussion > The Reckless Moment last night

The Reckless Moment last night

posted 13 years ago by tearose312
12 replies | jump to latest

TCM concentrated on Max Ophuls's Hollywood films last night though later in the evening, some of his European films were shown as well. Ophuls is one of my favorite directors, Letter From an Unknown Woman always makes my favorite films list - Earrings of Mme de...even more sublime. I had never gotten a chance to see The Reckless Moment -- I became aware of it when I saw the remake The Deep End several years ago. So I was pleased to see it last night. Joan Bennett and James Mason are both top notch and the film itself has the sophisticated look one expects from Ophuls. I looked for his signature staircases and there were several -- but not his white roses, as this is not a white rose kind of movie. If I had one complaint, I thought Geraldine Brooks looked too old to be 17 going on 18, but this wasn't a major flaw. The film belongs to Joan Bennett and James Mason. I saved The Exile on DVR and will watch it later, another Ophuls film I have not seen. Thanks to TCM and Martin Scorsese for the evening honoring Max Ophuls. Pure magic.

[–] apriceaboverubies29 13 years ago

A great film that I had not seen in many years. Joan Bennett hit it out of the park with her performance. Mason was great also. :-)

The flip side of fear is understanding.

[–] BG43214 13 years ago

I saw this years ago on one of the premium channels and loved it....so of course had to see it again on TCM!!!

With this movie, and "Scarlet Street"..(if you've never seen it, you MUST!) I now have an entirely different conception of Bennett's acting skills!! In BOTH of these, she is SUPERB.....

I do have to disagree with you on Letter from an Unknown Woman....I disliked it completely, but of course never was a Fontaine fan!!..it was very slow, to me, and just dragged on and on.

But the important thing is "Reckelss Moment' and you, again, must see "Scarlet Street' directed by Fritz Lang......there's also 'Woman in the Window' with Bennett and the same cast, also by Lang.......but I forget which one came out first.oh well, a quick check here on IMDB will tell you!

[–] waldenpond88 11 years ago

I liked "Woman on the Beach", too.

[–] FANatic-10 11 years ago

This was a very interesting movie, plot-wise and for the fine directorial touches throughout. Joan Bennett gave a very tense and realistic performance, and James Mason was just excellent, making his character's actions believable and empathetic. Off-beat and somehow rather subversive for its time, with the father absent and the middle-class, middle-aged housewife ultimately bonding with a would-be blackmailer over her 17-year-old daughter's strongly implied love affair.

[–] mcannady1 10 years ago

Movie girl - I just saw your post. I love Woman on the Beach too!
Joan Bennett and Charles Bickford are wonderful in it!

[–] greenbudgie 9 years ago

'The Woman On The Beach' is my favourite Joan Bennett film. She look far better in that than in this movie. I liked the ending of 'Beach' better as well.

[–] waldenpond88 9 years ago

Don't get me wrong, please, I enjoyed "Woman on the Beach", but thought James Mason is a better actor than Robert Ryan (Woman on the Beach).

Yes, Bennett was very beautiful in WOTB and also in "Man Hunt" (Walter Pidgeon) and until at least the "Father of the Bride"/"Father's Little Dividend" movies she was still a very attractive woman.
But I thought that her part in "Reckless Moment" was so much more demanding/challenging than in WOTB and she handled it very well.
It's a movie that I must have watched 20 times or more by now, but I'll never get tired of watching it :).

Cheers,

Chrissie

[–] greenbudgie 9 years ago

I'm glad you're a fan of 'Woman On The Beach' Chrissie. It's so mysterious. I thought that James Mason gave a good Irish brogue rendering in 'Reckless.'

[–] waldenpond88 9 years ago

Joan Bennett and Edward G. Robinson in "Woman in the Window", another good film noir.

[–] mcannady1 10 years ago

I thought that the movie was wonderful too! I had seen it a long time ago and
now have a wonderful copy on DVD. The book is great too and is called Blank Wall by Elizabeth Sanxay Holding. Anyone wanting to know more about Martin Donnelly or Lucia Harper and their motives will love the book too!

[–] waldenpond66 10 years ago

I know, I read the book via ILL from the library first, then ordered a used copy from amazon.com and read it 2 more times and loved it! It takes place on Long Island and in NYC though whereas the movie was filmed near Balboa Island, Huntington Beach, CA. I absolutely LOVE the movie locations!

[–] mcannady1 10 years ago

Movie girl - Me too! Blank Wall was a wonderful book. I loved James Mason and
Joan Bennett's performances in this film. I do wish that the director (who was wonderful in most things) had let Mrs. Harper and Martin Donnelly become friends - he took her to some fancy private restaurants in the book. In re-screening the movie a recent director says that they did not do this, as they wanted to keep the two of them from having a romantic relationship because of Lucia's marriage and not wanting to hurt her husband and children. The book does have the locations in Long Island and NYC; hence, Lucia was able to take a taxi to New York City to have lunch with Martin D. In the film we learn that the film's locale is in Balboa and Huntongton Beach, CA. I am in Redondo Beach and can picture the locations while watching the film.