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The Postman Always Rings Twice | Year: 1946 Classification: Drama Directed: - Tay Garnett Actors/Actresses: - Lana Turner - John Garfield Naughty, naughty, naughty. I may be old fashioned but I still find this movie a little shocking. And while the end is a dissapointment, it was probably made necessary by the censors. Its also an element of Film Noir that everything ISN'T going to be ok. It all works because of Lana Turner. Ms. Turner takes a simple--and hopfully, implausible--story and makes it cheap, tawdry and hotter than hell. Man, this must have been something in 1946! I'll bet a lot of couples gave each other a long look as they left the theatre.... "You've been trying to make a tramp out of me." "The Postman Always Rings Twice" is one of the best-known entries in the Film Noir genre. The film, directed by Tay Garnett is based on the James Cain novel. Cora Smith (Lana Turner) is married to Nick Smith. It's an incongruous match, and drifter Frank Chambers (John Garfield) certainly thinks the Smiths are wildly mismatched when he arrives in the Smiths' petrol station/roadside cafe. Frank has no intention of staying, but when he gets an eyeful of the scantily clad Cora, he decides to stick around and accepts a job from Nick Smith. Before too long, Cora and Frank are embroiled in a hot affair under her husband's nose. He's blissfully unaware that Cora and Frank are hot and heavy. In some situations, perhaps, this affair would continue on for years, but circumstances force Frank and Cora to take action. When the decision is made to murder Nick, Frank and Cora's relationship is put to the test. Lana Turner was great in the role of Cora. She is obviously extremely unhappy with Nick--even before Frank comes along. This is glaringly obvious to everyone except Nick, and as it turns out, he has entirely different plans for Cora. Cora tries to fight the attraction to Frank, but they are too much alike and they are inevitably drawn to one another. Under different circumstances, they would probably meet and have a passionate brief affair. Somehow, I don't think ambitious Cora would really give Frank much of a second glance if she had the world of men to choose from. This film works so well thanks to the strong characterization and excellent acting. Bleached blonde Cora just doesn't look right in her neat, little white Twin Oaks uniform--she was built to languish on a velvet chaise, but fate has her stuck in a poky hole-in-the-ground cafe. One conversation between Cora and Frank hints at Cora's past as she explains away her marriage. It's only a matter of time before some man comes along, takes one look at Cora and decides to liberate her from Nick's company. Just as Cora married Nick for security, Nick has his own reasons for marrying Cora, and love does not seem to be one of them. Frank, the drifter, is suitably rough-around-the edges. He's so enamored with Cora, that he takes her bidding--but also nurses a vague resentment at the same time. Hume Cronyn and Leon Ames are both excellent in their supporting roles--both actors are scene-stealers. The DVD also includes many worthwhile extras about the career of John Garfield. I recommend this film highly if you are interested in Film Noir or just want to watch a riveting film--displacedhuman Welcome to the Twin Oaks Postman's plot centers around drifter Frank, and his relationship with the beautiful Cora. Cora and husband, Nick, run the Twin Oaks -- a roadside service station/diner -- and Nick has hired Frank to help around the place. Cora and Nick are May/December, but there is no romance whatsover between them. The reason for their marriage is cryptically revealed during one scene, but, in the end, one never can quite figure out why they are together. Frank and Cora quickly fall for each other and desire a life together -- a desire that requires removing Nick from the picture. The urgency reaches fever pitch when Nick announces his intention to sell the diner and move Cora to nothern Canada where she will care for Nick's recently paralyzed sister, who, in Nick's words, is going to live for a long time. As other reviewers have mentioned, the DA and defense attorney stand out in this film as well-conceived characters, the defense attorney played to perfection by Hume Cronyn. Over the years, Postman has been lauded as perhaps the quintessential piece of film noir -- an intentionally bleak genre that experienced its heyday in the forties and fifties. Although Postman is undoubtedly a precise work of film noir, it's reputation may be based as much on it's mold-shattering relationship with MGM as on its artistic merit. Released by MGM, Postman was so far out of character for the studio that MGM had to borrow John Garfield to cast the leading role. That said, one is hard pressed to envision Frank as having been played by anyone other than Garfield. The same can't be said for Lana Turner's Cora, though. Yet, while other actresses may admirably have filled Cora's sultry shoes, Turner does indeed sizzle in this role. Both Garfield and Turner play their parts to perfection -- their acting is simply terrific. Somehow, though, the chemistry between the two leaves a little something wanting. For me, this was underscored by the instant chemistry that exists between Frank/Garfield and the "other woman" he picks up at the train station during Lana/Cora's absence. That said, the little something that is wanting between Turner and Gerfield contributes, in its own way, to the bleakness of the plot. Technically, the dvd presentation of Postman is quite good. The transfer here is not as pristine as other Warner releases and there are digital artifacts and noise noticeable in many scenes. However, they are not severe enough in effect or number to detract from the film. Although the audio on this dvd is fine, the score for Postman is really just mediocre. Heavy on suspense motifs, one is left feeling as though they've heard much of this music before. The highlight of the dvd is the Garfield documentary that Warner has included as an extra. For fans of the noir genre, and for fans of Garfield in particular, this extra transforms a good dvd into a must-own dvd. All things considered, this is a title for confirmed noir fans, and, for them, it is highly recommended. E Buy The Postman Always Rings Twice at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  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