Human Desire

Directed by Fritz Lang, Human Desire follows Glenn Ford’s Jeff Warren as he’s drawn into a relationship with an unhappy housewife (Gloria Grahame’s Vicki) trapped in an unhappy marriage to an older, abusive man (Broderick Crawford’s Carl). Filmmaker Lang, armed with Alfred Hayes’ screenplay, delivers a fairly standard film-noir thriller that’s elevated by its surprising narrative and proliferation of compelling performances, as, in terms of the latter, the movie’s three leads turn in predictably engrossing work that goes a long way towards cultivating (and sustaining) a compulsively watchable atmosphere. And although the picture admittedly does suffer from a somewhat sluggish midsection, Human Desire benefits substantially from a continuing emphasis on palpably tense interludes that buoy the viewer’s interest on a regular basis – with this especially true of a terrifically suspenseful interlude wherein Vicki discovers Carl’s spot for hiding valuables. It’s clear, too, that the movie only grows more and more compelling in the buildup towards its unexpectedly enthralling climactic stretch, as the inclusion of several twists and revelations, particular with respect to Grahame’s rather captivating character, ensures that the whole thing concludes on an impressively electrifying and memorable note – which ultimately does cement Human Desire‘s place as a striking endeavor that is, more often than not, far more entertaining than one might’ve initially anticipated.

*** out of ****