Gilda (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

“Gilda” is a fascinating, multi-faceted film that can be interpreted in multiple ways, all of which can be valid understandings of what’s going on with its complex characters. It’s considered one of the great noir classics by most, though some argue that it’s not a noir at all. I don’t get into debates like that because it basically comes down to people making their own rules then parsing a film to see if it follows them. Noir is a style, a view of life, an atmosphere and a mood

and the concept wasn’t even known at the time of the film’s development. Noir is usually a tragedy and in that respect, “Gilda” is not but neither is “Laura”, a film with which it has some similarities. Its screenplay is taut, has a few genuinely surprising twists and turns and has one of the zingiest scripts in the genre. It was a nightmare for the Breen office, whose final solution was to insist that it all be set in a foreign country (it was originally set in America) as such goings on couldn’t possibly be happening here.

Exactly who wrote what is a mystery in itself. It is credited as being based on a story by the very obscure E.A. Ellington and adapted by Jo Elsinger, who also adapted “Night and the City”, so I imagine he added much of the noir atmosphere. of the film. But the screenplay itself is attributed to Marion Parsonette, who was mostly a writer of B-movie comedies and mysteries. who had worked on “Cover Girl” with producer Virginia Van Upp, herself a talented writer. Van Upp had won the confidence of the studio and Rita Hayworth herself with “Cover Girl” and developed “Gilda” to move Hayworth into something besides musicals. Ben Hecht is added to the list as an uncredited writer and I would imagine that he was responsible for some of the really sharp dialog. In spite of the multiple inputs “Gilda” comes together like a work by a single writer and never gets muddled or confusing.

Though it was conceived as a star vehicle for Hayworth, its three principals interact as equals. George Macready’s Ballin Mundson is one of the most memorable of noir villains, enhanced by his real facial scar, the result of an automobile accident. He’s an elegant villain, absolutely cold and calculating, intelligent, superior and a man who says he makes his own luck. He’s much like Waldo Lydecker in “Laura”, wealthy, important and quite possibly gay or bisexual - another of the complexities of “Gilda”. He is unlike Lydecker, who is hedonistically first viewed in his sumptuous overdecorated bath and who shows a soft and tender side toward Laura. Ballin seems more the ascetic type, unimpressed with his own palatial home which only exists to show his power, his real love. He also enjoys being cruel at times. He openly admits to Glenn Ford’s Johnny Farrell, “I bought Gilda like I bought you” and has an unusual “faithful and obedient” definition of friendship. He’s a man you don’t want to cross. His only redeeming quality is that he seems to really love Gilda. Ford was an up and coming actor who was made a star by this film, in a role that would be typical for him, a regular guy in unusual circumstances. He’s likeable but will cheat at gambling and has enough cunning to talk Ballin into taking him on. In fact, he’s even cheeky toward Ballin, a tough guy trait Ballin seems to like. Johnny shows talent for running the casino and can take charge when called upon to do so. He has his own cruel side which he shows in abundance toward Gilda, however deserved or undeserved - another of the film’s mysteries. Ballin declared that Johnny is like him, a man who makes his own luck, but is he really so lucky? After all, of all the women in New York, he brings back Gilda.

Gilda’s entrance is one of Hollywood’s most surprising. She arises from below screen out of nowhere like Venus emerging from the sea, in a hair tossing closeup that was immediately and forever iconic. There are simply no words to describe the radiant beauty of Hayworth in this film. She was, of course, a studio creation in many ways from changing her name from Rita Cansino to her mother’s maiden name, Hayworth, thus freeing her from the B-movie hell of playing exotic vixens. Her hairline was slightly raised and her naturally brown hair, dyed black in the Cansino days, became red. But you could do this with many starlets and they would never be Rita Hayworth. Her magic was real and came from within and was able to be picked up by the camera. There’s a joy of life with her, especially when she’s dancing and of course, something intangible but real. Gilda and Johnny have a backstory but it’s never really revealed, which is a good thing, as every viewer can imagine their own. The story is better without the details. Her Gilda is a bit enigmatic. She is self-destructive at times, risking her reputation and Ballin’s wrath just to make Johnny jealous. This is established when she encourages the advances of Gabe Evans only after she notices Johnny is in the room. She’s aware of the power of her beauty over men, but it only leads from one prison to another. Throughout it she’s delightfully insouciant, as when she first re-meets Johnny, saying, “Johnny is such a hard name to remember. It’s so easy to forget”. Still, it’s all bravado, covering up her insecurity at having to depend entirely upon men.There’s no need to comment on her two famous songs, “Amado Mio” and “Put the Blame on Mame”, though they were dubbed, they come across as her. Her dresses for each are equally famous. There’s conflicting information about her singing with the acoustic guitar with some sources saying it is her voice and others saying not.

The issue has been brought forth in recent years that there is a gay subtext to the film and I have to agree that it’s there if you want to see it. Why is the wealthy, impeccably dressed Mundson hanging around the docks? Even Johnny asks him this and he answers with a non answer. Is he looking for a tough young guy like Johnny? He gives Johnny the key to the club and makes him the manager, then a partner and heir. What should we make of Ballin’s statement, “This I must be sure of., that there’s no woman anywhere” or his toast, “To us, Johnny”.When Ballin returns from New York, Johnny runs over and shouts an almost too joyful “Hello Ballin” before being crushed by the fact that Ballin has a woman in his house, something about which Ballin himself comments.. But then, Ballin married Gilda, so the situation is full of dynamite for poor Johnny. When Johnny accuses Gilda of marrying Ballin for his money, saying, “That’s a great way to make a living”, making a moral judgment. She counters, “That wouldn’t be the big black pot calling the little kettle black, would it?” If she’s referring to his employment by Ballin, there’s no equivalent moral aspect to accepting employment. Does she suspect something else? In interviews later on, none of the cast said they saw it this way and certainly the audience didn’t. The relationship between the two men can be seen as quite normal. Balln sees in Johnny a man like himself, a younger version, and takes him on as a protege, a common thing for men in business and the arts to do. Then it’s the story of an older, childless man taking on a young apprentice as a kind of son. If Johnny was as taken aback by Ballin marrying an unknown woman that would add to a gay subtext, but the fact that it’s Gilda makes it perfectly normal that he’s so upset.

Either way it’s a great film and the underlying story isn’t greatly affected by either interpretation. It’s the story of two flawed people who had once found love, falling out with each other. They somehow fall into the control of a cold, cruel man whose lust for power is so great that at one point he turns into a Bond-like villain, revealing a desire to “control the world”. At one point each of them has accepted Ballin’s bargain that whatever life they had before, it ended when they met him and from now on, say a new life had begun. Through this dark and treacherous journey they are almost destroyed, but when one character reveals a concealed truth to Johnny, they are set free to begin a new life together.

Fantastic film, and a great presentation from Criterion. The movie has been restored and it looks great.

I have been wanting to see this movie when I saw this scene in shawshank redemption film

Above all, this film is defined by the sheer charm of Rita Hayworth.

She masterfully portrays both her femme fatale side and her vulnerable, earnest side, etching every ounce of her allure onto the silver screen. It is a film that immortalized the sensual figure of the woman who rose to become America’s sex symbol at the time. Although her singing is apparently dubbed, the scene where she sings “Put the Blame on Mame” can only be described as magnificent.

The picture quality improvements in the Gilda 4K UHD, Dolby Vision HDR release from Criterion are flawless. Thanks to the overall stability of the image, the gradation from shadows to highlights, and the realization of native 4K resolution, this masterpiece has been resurrected as a gem of a film.

Intriging movie with Hayworth at her best and Ford meeting her at every llevel.

Fantastic film. Great 40's snappy/sarcastic banter, Rita and the washroom attendant having the best lines. The B&W cinematography is some of Hollywood's best…rivaling even Greg Toland and Stanley Cortez at times.

I'm not a great fan of the usual 30's-40's "song" sequence in many non-musical films BUT this is an exception. Rita's singing numbers steal the show and her performance is very easy on the eyes, even if it isn't her actual voice. Cast if great with the exception of Glenn Ford, who is the weakest link. It would be interesting to see what Monty Clift would have done in that role instead of Ford. The sexual tension between Rita and Clift would have made it an even better film in my humble opinion.

Nice, clean, beautiful transfer. The blacks are sharp, deep and dark. Minimum film damage evident.

The extras are pretty good as usual with Criterion. Great little paper fold-out booklet with disc info and a poster of Rita on the back side. New interviews (Scorsese & others) , trailer and a "lost" dug up 1964 episode of a "celebrity" TV show I had no idea even existed focusing on Rita's career. I like Richard Schickel's past commentaries on other films but this one is somewhat spotty through the film. Not only in interesting content but also in length. I never timed it but it seemed like only 50% of the film has running commentary. If you are going to do it, then go all out…sorry Richard, not your best work in this one.

Gilda (1946) shakes things up a tad in the noir genre. While it’s still shadowy and has plenty of mischief, these elements are overshadowed (no pun intended) by Rita Hayworth’s portrayal of the main character, in which she glosses and glitters over an otherwise dark story. Despite this, Gilda still packs quite a punch, and the plot is very thought-provoking. If you’re open to something different in the noir genre, then Gilda is for you; it works on many levels. The Criterion Collection blu ray delivers a solid remastering, and there are some neat extras to view. Gilda is essential to your noir collection.

The Criterion Collection released this popular 1946 romantic film noir directed by Charles Vidor and starring Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, and George Macready on Blu-ray, looking superb in HD, a definite upgrade from the 2000 Columbia Classics DVD, including the theatrical trailer, minus the advertising photo gallery and Rita Hayworth Columbia's leading lady clip show featurette, but now having interviews with genre expert Eddie Muller and also directors Martin Scorsese and Baz Luhrmann. Contains a pullout poster of Rita Hayworth as Gilda with an essay on the other side by critic Sheila O'Malley.

Me gusta mucho esta película, compré la edición bluray de Criterion: los extras no traen subtítulos, ni en inglés, o al menos yo no supe agregarlos. Excelente compra de cualquier forma.

Wowee!! Picture and audio quality are excellent. Several supplements and comes with a poster of Gilda with a essay on reverse. Recommend!!

I had never seen the movie before, but it was entirely enjoyable. As always, the Criterion restoration has created a beautiful black and white print, and the film looks great. It's a well-shot film, fine cinematography, lighting and shadowing. I haven't seen many RIta Hayworth movies previously, but she is fantastic in this, in her dance scenes, in her seductive scenes, and some of the suggestive dialogue is quite enjoyable, often on a par with The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity and other excellent studio noirs. And the supplementary features, especially the one from the film noir scholar, add to the understanding of some of the more peculiar aspects of the story, although I'm not sure his take is entirely accurate, but nevertheless, an interesting point-of-view.. I usually look to Criterion for foreign and art films, which they excel at, and not popular U.S. films already available elsewhere, but this is well-worth purchasing, and I think I'll pick up Criterion's Only Angels Have Wings, The Player, In A Lonely Place and Dr. Strangelove when they come out later this spring 2016. But again, this was a highly enjoyable purchase for me.

Gilda classic movie great extras

My copy has water damage on the insert/poster