Do not ever rent this film.

By Kim Morgan filmnoiroftheweek.com “This is what they call the point of no return my friend.” Nightfall is a work of striking juxtapositions and tones that by picture end, come off like a wonderfully disarming person—you’re charmed, even a bit disturbed, but you’re not sure what to make of it all. It opens at night, in the neon lit, Los Angeles jungle shimmering with welcoming Hollywood haunts like Miceli’s, Firefly and Musso and Frank and ends within the blinding white snow of the more foreboding Wyoming Wilderness. It pits an older doctor and his much younger, artist friend against two thugs, one an over-eager, violence-lusting psychopath and the other a casual, smarter killer whose relaxed approach borders on the likable. It features a chic fashion show with a modern looking Anne Bancroft as a “mannequin” followed by a cuddly rural bus ride during which the lovers express their romantic feelings after waking up to (decidedly non chic) whiskers. There’s cruel violence committed against good Samaritans mixed with quippy one liners and a surprising amount of dark humor. And did I mention Anne Bancroft falls in love with Aldo Ray? They seem mismatched, but then, perfect together—and their moments are exceptionally romantic. In short, Nightfall is a trip. But a great trip, and a noteworthy addition to noir innovator Jacques Tourneur’s oeuvre (which includes, among other splen…

Aldo Ray metaphorically stumbles across mob money. Rudy Bond is a sadist who makes a game out of killing his victims, making them believe there is a contest involved. Brian Keith works with Rudy Bond, and is disgusted by him, till the sadist finally decides to try to kill him. James Gregory is investigating all of this, and feels he is in over his head, and discusses his insecurities with his wife. Sound familiar? Well, this was the original classic that McCarthy later went totally Hollywood formula with, but this one is the real deal. Here, the bad guys are just as mortal as the good guys. They aren't "gods" or "demi gods", which is too much for the Beavis and Butthead brats who make up much of the first world right now. This is a "mature" version, a version that isn't contrived, of three dimensional characters, or aptly put "credible characters in incredible circumstances", which is what separates the classic films from the disasters. Much of this tale is told in flashback, and I'm no fan of flashbacks, but this film is a classic notwithstanding, because we find the characters so credible.

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