Laura (1944) (Uncut | Region 2 DVD | UK Import)

This movie is a masterpiece by Otto Preminger. Beautifully directed and the cast Gene and Dana act really well. It is an excellent movie that challenges you and the twist is something you don't really expect

It's hard to create an absent character, then feature them front-and-center without destroying all that mystery and power. Just look at "Rebecca."But one exception to this rule is "Laura," a spellbinding film noir about a rough, clever detective and a society girl suspected of being first the victim, then the murderer. Dark atmosphere, red herrings, and a hefty dose of psychology are all part of the mix in one of Hollywood's strangest love triangles.A young socialite, Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney) has been shot in the face with buckshot. Det. Lt. Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) is sent on the case, investigating Laura's aunt, her gigolo fiancee Shelby (Vincent Price), and her best friend, an acid-tongued gay columnist Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb). No one seems to have a motive for killing Laura -- everyone loved her.And soon McPherson starts to fall in love with Laura too, with a painting as his guide. Then Laura walks into her apartment, alive and well. Now MacPherson must find out who the dead girl was, and struggles with his jealousy when Laura reunites with her cheating fiancee. But who was the real target -- and what twisted motives do they have?Few murder mysteries of any kind are as tight and perfectly plotted as "Laura" is, and few noirs have as deep an insight into the human mind -- and just how strange and/or twisted love can become. Not many movies can have a guy who falls in love with a girl through a painting, without making it corny.The movie is taut, intense and slightly overwhelming, with a twist in the middle that throws out all the previous suspicions. It unwinds slowly throughout the film, with the occasional burst of action (MacPherson punching Shelby), right up to an action-packed finale, full with symbolism... and some seriously twisted motives.But atmosphere alone isn't enough, and there's also some incredibly haunting cinematography and brilliant dialogue ("I don't use a pen. I write with a goose quill dipped in venom"). When MacPherson interviews Laura's maid, she announces, "I ain't afraid of cops. I was brought up to spit whenever I saw one." His reply? "Okay, go ahead and spit if that'll make you feel better."Laura's a powerful presence in the first half, and a less talented actress would have wrecked the atmosphere, but Tierney handles it well. Andrews has a crackling Bogart-esque presence here, which makes us like the only honest guy in the movie, and Webb is brilliant as the tart-tongued, frustrated Waldo, who sees Laura as his personal Galatea. And Price has a small but juicy role as a smooth gigolo."Laura" is one of the greatest films noir, full of wonderful acting, dark atmosphere and twisted passion. It's nothing short of brilliant.

Great movie glad to be able to get it

I watch DVD movies of this vintage all the time and nearly always the picture quality is excellent. On this one the picture is fuzzy. I thought there was something wrong with my DVD player so I tried two of my other "old movies" and they're just fine, so clearly this version of Laura is not the best. The sound is slightly unclear, too, but that may be the original movie's director. I watch the 1947 Sorry Wrong Number and the 1944 Double Indemnity all the time and I understand every word perfectly in those. In Laura, I have to "rewind" frequently and listen a second and third time before the dialog becomes perfectly clear. Perhaps another company has a better version.

it arrived 9 days early , disk works well, bc of NCIS this is one of my favourite classic movies great story , amazing acting, would love to buy a poster of that Laura painting

Good movie. The film was grainy. It may have been reproduced to fit the screen and that was a mistake.

The dvd I received is a very low-quality copy. The contrast is low. There is no menu. The volume is so low that I had my TV turned up all the way and I still could barely hear it. (I tried two dvd players.) There are no subtitles, though the box says there are Chinese subtitles. The movie, of course is wonderful, directed by Otto Preminger and starring some of my favorites. But the dvd quality sucks and I won't watch it again. If you buy this, watch it right away so you have time to return it.