- Directed by Max Ophüls and based on a novel by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding, The Reckless Moment is an atypical film noir in that it focuses on a family matron named Lucia Harper (Joan Bennett). With her husband out of town for work, Lucia is very much at the head of this busy household that includes rebellious daughter Bea (Geraldine Brooks), annoying son David (David Bair), chatty father-in-law Tom (Henry O'Neill), and redoubtable maid Sybil (Frances E. Williams). Although Lucia's life would have been hectic under any circumstances, the situation is complicated by the fact that seventeen-year-old Bea has been dating a disreputable older man named Darby (Shepperd Strudwick). When Lucia finds Darby dead on the beach, it removes one problem only to replace it with several other more serious ones.
- The newest problem arrives in the form of a blackmailer named Martin Donnelly (James Mason), who finds himself in possession of love letters written by Bea to the recently deceased Darby. Naturally, Donnelly could be persuaded to part with the letters for five thousand dollars, but where can Lucia possibly raise that kind of money? Well, here's the other atypical thing about this film: Donnelly isn't such a bad guy. He obviously regrets the path his life has taken and is strangely affected by Lucia's plight. He also worries that his partner in crime (Roy Roberts) won't be so understanding. At first, Donnelly grants Lucia an extension or two. Eventually, he drops his half of the demands. If he had the money, he'd even pay off his partner himself. All along, you can see that Donnelly is falling in love with Lucia and the idea of a loving family, but surely he can't expect this story to hold a happy ending for everyone.
- I hadn't seen a Max Ophüls film prior to this year, but this and Caught, both of which came out in 1949, have quickly convinced me of his skills behind the camera. The thing that impressed me most about The Reckless Moment in particular was how well he captured incidental side conversations and secondary characters. When Lucia walks through a seedy hotel, the audience gets a good look at exactly what makes it so seedy. When she holds court with Donnelly in her living room, you can tell that Sybil is in the background listening. Bennett and Mason both deliver excellent performances that convey two very different forms of heroism. Now I find myself wishing that Ophüls had directed more noir, but unfortunately for me it appears that this film was the second of two.
