The Lady From Shanghai (1948)
Orson Welles writes, directs and stars in this murky noirish tale about an out of work seaman who becomes infatuated with a famed lawyers wife and joins them on a bizarre yachting cruise, before ending up being charged with murder in a complex plot of distortion.
Welles once again show what a fine director he is, Welles makes strange faux-pars by getting leading lady Rita Hayworth to cut her flowing red hair and dye it blonde, whilst giving himself a frankly weird Irish accent.
None the less, this is still a magnificent film with an almost Hitchcockian second half, where Everett Sloane proves himself a better actor than he did in Citizen Kane as Hayworth's disabled husband and Hayworth shimmers with effervescent sex appeal especially in her swimsuit. The early yachting scenes certainly seemed odd and sleazy enough to have influenced the Italians in the late 60's early 70's in films like Waves of Lust (1975) and Top Sensation (1969) with mind games aplenty. Whilst the finale at the carnival hall of mirrors is superbly executed, quite rightly famed and amazingly influential.
Highly recommended.
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