The Dark Past (1948)

(On Cable TV, May 2022) It’s perfectly understandable to have mixed feelings about The Dark Past – a film that most impresses with a novel approach, but then shows the limits of that approach. In what feels like a stage-bound noir, much of the film revolves around a hostage situation in which a dangerous criminal threatens a college psychology professor and his family at their isolated cabin. The most noteworthy bit of cast is obviously a young William Holden as the villain (!), facing off against the older Lee J. Cobb. The novelty of this film’s approach is in its reliance on psychiatry as a way out of the conflict – throughout the film, our protagonist develops his understanding of the villain’s psychology (including a few nightmares rendered in stylish negative image) and then, as a climax, performs a quick analytical session. Alas, this is where the film hits a hard limit – Hollywood oblige, a few minutes of discussions lead the villain to realize the errors of his ways, and the protagonist to declare, “He’s cured!’” — a declaration that even non-professionals will find problematic in the twenty-first century. But the film gets the happy ending it was looking for, all the way back to a framing device that feels like nothing more than propaganda for police psychiatrists. As I said – it’s fine to be impressed by The Dark Past’s willingness to reach for something other than a big climactic shoot-out, and not be impressed by the slap-dash way it’s executed.