source: Rage in Heaven

Trailer—Rage in Heaven

Rage in Heaven

Movies about the mentally ill were becoming popular Suspense fodder in the Forties and would eventually be an excellent excuse for the crazy to run amok in Film Noir. Most of those Noir Films were the antithesis to Hollywood's bland Melodramas and standard, straight, mostly uninteresting Fluff. But this one was made before some good Directors and Writers really caught that Film Noir tiger by the tail. It is a good Story ruined by some lackluster Direction, uninvolved Acting, and a very plain look. The dementia keeps things interesting until the final Act and then the wheels really come off. Not completely awful but nothing here to recommend except as an example of one of those that help start the Psychological cycle that until the War was completely absent in Movies except for Sci-Fi and Horror. From about the time of Pearl Harbour insanity became good to go in reality based Hollywood Fiction.

It doesn't seem possible that MGM would have approved the screenplay that Christopher Isherwood and Robert Thoeren fashioned out of James Hilton's novel. Full of inconsistencies, character motivations, unexplained actions, and abrupt dramatic unfolding, this screenplay was not ready for production. Perhaps MGM was in the throes of its "dream factory" rush to get the project rolling that some exec simply skimmed over the inept script. What ever the case, the company put its full weight behind it, securing Robert Montgonery, Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders to head an excellent cast. Director W. S. Van Dyke II's "efficient shooting style" didn't help matters, as the entire enterprise seemed rushed and erratic. If the cast and crew were upset, it's understandable. Here's a rather mediocre piece of work that had the potential for excellence. A pity.

I might be in the minority here, but I really liked this movie. George Sanders, playing against type, was quite believable as Ward Andrews, a decent guy in love with his best friend's wife, but too noble to pursue her. Ingrid Bergman, as Stella, plays the conflicted wife very well. She loves her husband, but as he becomes more paranoid and jealous, you see her suffering from the emotional abuse he heaps on her. But the real surprise of this movie is Robert Montgomery. According to Ingrid Bergman, he told her he planned on phoning in his performance because he was angry with MGM for putting him in this film. If he did, it was a brilliant decision. His underplaying and detachment gave him the air of someone who was convinced of the rationality of his increasingly irrational behavior. I never thought I'd say this about Robert Montgomery, but he gave me the kind of creeps in this movie that I got from Anthony Perkins in Psycho.

''Rage in Heaven'' wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't good either...... I'm not sure, if it's because of the story, or because of the actors performances...... Ingrid Bergman was fine...... You could tell, that she tried to make the best of it, but there was NO chemistry at all, between her and Robert Montgomery, George Sanders...... Montgomery looks tired, and seems to be sleepwalking through the movie...... He downplayed his mentally disturbed character too much...... He seemed more alert, towards the last half of the film...... From what I read, in Ingrid Bergman's autobiography, she said, that Montgomery was forced to do this movie, so he told her, that he won't act..... That probably explains his bored looks in the movie...... Overall, could've been a better movie, if they rearranged the cast or something.......