Finding Love on Dangerous Ground: A Film Noir Worth Spending Some Time With ...

For lovers of film noir, take a look at Nicholas Ray's On Dangerous Ground, one of my favorites. The DVD version offers, among its extras, a highly instructive commentary by film editor and critic Glenn Erickson about director Ray (In A Lonely Place, Rebel Without a Cause), the film and film noir in general. For serious movie buffs, Erickson's clear analysis of how the movie was originally shot and then extensively edited, post production, is worth the price of admission.

Ground has a memorable score by one of Hollywood's greats, Bernard Hermann, a score of symphonic depth that, at its best, captures in delicate tones the inherent sadness central to the lead characters. Erickson contends that what Ray gave us is a sensitive character study much more than a cop movie. With that I'd agree. He even makes a persuasive argument for the affirmative ending that was added well after principal shooting wrapped in 1950. The studio, RKO, was run by the incessantly meddling Howard Hughes, who held back on releasing it until early 1952.

On Dangerous Ground shifts mid way from the dark and moody rain-swept streets of a big city by night -- very noirish -- to the open snow-covered mountains where a killer is on the loose. The story follows the journey of a jaded and angry police detective named Jim Wilson, played by Robert Ryan, who ultimately finds redemption in a fragile connection to a blind woman essayed with tender conviction by Ida Lupino.

It's interesting to consider how the extensive changes made to the film after it wrapped may have actually improved its impact. Erickson, a superb teacher, leads us through the many script revisions, first from novel to screenplay, then in post production work. When finally released, the movie suffered generally negative notices; it would take decades to reach the acclaim of film scholars and buffs. Today, On Dangerous Ground is regarded as a film noir classic.

I highly recommend your taking a look.