The Dark Past (1948)
Directed by Rudolph Maté

Film Review

The Dark Past is one of a number of Hollywood productions of the 1940s to tap into widespread interest in Freudian psychoanalytical concepts, managing to graft these ideas into a thriller plot with more success than many.  Although much of the psychobabble has been debunked since, the film convincingly argues the case that criminal behaviour in adulthood can be the direct result of unresolved childhood traumas, and does so, commendably, in the course of a compelling film noir thriller. 

This was the second film to be directed by Rudolph Maté, who had previously worked as a cinematographer, widely regarded as one of the best in the business.  Maté's cinematography credits date back to 1920 and include work on such films as Carl Theodor Dreyer's masterpieces La passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928) and Vampyr (1932).  Maté's experience as a cinematographer served him well when he came to make his own films; few filmmakers have used lighting and camera angles so effectively to create atmosphere and tension, as The Dark Past amply demonstrates.

Whilst the film has some shortcomings in the script department, these are more than made up for by the quality of the performances, particularly from the two male leads.  The intensity and focus that William Holden and Lee J. Cobb both bring to the film make The Dark Past a thoroughly absorbing drama that deserves to be ranked alongside some of the other great films noirs of the period.

Film Synopsis

Psychiatrist Dr Andrew Collins is spending a peaceful weekend at his country house with his wife and a few friends when gangster Al Walker walks in, looking for a hideout for a few hours.  Walker has just escaped from prison, with the help of his girlfriend and mobster friends, and warns Collins that unless he cooperates he is more than willing to shoot him and his houseguests.   Collins is intrigued when he learns that Walker has been afflicted with the same recurring dream since childhood.   If he can interpret the dream correctly, he will discover why Walker became a dangerous criminal...