The special moment – the character’s introduction – when Gilda reveals herself to the viewer with a storm of long, fluffy hair is an acting masterpiece that has earned her a permanent place in the pantheon of Hollywood stars.
Almost every scene from this film with her participation went down in the history of cinema.
“Gilda”, however, is first and foremost a wonderful acting performance by Rita Hayworth. What is more, one may suspect him of exceptionally perverse inclinations – he looks impotent, and says to his wife that hatred excites him most in the world. Gilda’s husband with his cane containing a deadly blade is reminiscent of a sadistic murderer. However, other characters are also marked by evil. It is, of course, attributed to the title character, a typical femme fatale, capable of leading any man to disaster. “Gilda” is also an evil almost hanging in the air. Scenes with exaggerated shadows of characters, symbolic shots of a masked ball, and claustrophobic interiors play a special role. The time-space here is so dark that it sometimes gives the impression of a surrealistic nightmare. It is worth noting the clear affinity of “Gilda” with German Expressionism of the 1920s. Additionally, the film features a nocturnal world constructed by casinos, nightclubs, and shady business deals. Argentina is a place where many Europeans fleeing the destruction, but also Nazi criminals stayed during the war. The aura of mystery in “Gilda” is also built by the space-time setting, somewhat exotic and significant. Nevertheless the viewer does not have access to their secret knowledge, which makes the film world really intriguing. However, the most information about the characters’ dark secrets comes from two background characters – a checkroom attendant and a police inspector. It is known that the girl was a dancer in nightclubs and has numerous amorous conquests on her account. The viewer builds knowledge about these characters from the remains of information.īallin is a German emigrant, which acquires a particularly ambiguous sense in connection with the time of action (World War II), while Gilda and Farrell are Americans. Both Gilda and Johnny and Mundson do not reveal details of their past. First of all, we know nothing for sure about any of the characters in the picture. “Gilda” is a film that captivates even an aura of mystery present on many levels. However, he intends to take revenge for Gilda’s infidelity and isolates her from the world. When Mundson fakes his death, the widow inherits the entire fortune and marries Farrell. It turns out that the newly married wife and Johnny were previously lovers, and their passion is rekindled with redoubled, destructive force. Soon he also introduces his beautiful wife Gilda to his co-worker.
The time-space, plot and atmosphere of the work therefore situate “Gilda” very close to Michael Curtiz’s “ Casablanca”.īallin Mundson, a casino owner with an unclear but rather dark past, hires Johnny, a gambling scammer he met by chance, as his chief of personal security. The film is set during World War II in Argentina, among European expatriates. The plot of the love triangle – Gilda (Rita Haywort), her husband (George Macready) and Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford) – comes to the fore. It is not a classic example of noir, but the director uses this aesthetic to create a mysterious and extremely absorbing picture. The dark love story lined with criminal intrigue wouldn’t be so fascinating if it weren’t for the beautiful actress’s sensual dance and storm of curls.Ĭharles Vidor’s “Gilda” from 1946 can be classified as black cinema, a popular trend in American film of the 1940s. Rita Hayworth, went down in cinema history. Cast: Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, George Macready, Joseph Calleia, Steven Geray
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