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MovieMail's Review
Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame star in this fine remake of Jean Renoir's La Bęte Humaine. It's essential for noir and Lang fans alike, says James Oliver.
Human Desire. Newly returned from the war in Korea, Jeff Warren (Ford) resumes his job on the railways. When he meets beautiful Vicki Buckley (Graham), he's immediately smitten. Trouble is, Vicki's a married woman and her husband Carl (a magnificent Broderick Crawford) is the jealous type, with a history murdering anyone who gets too close to his missus...
A heaving tale of obsession, with working class characters and set against an industrial landscape? Such things scream Film Noir and Human Desire is a fine example of the form. Its literary origins, however, are altogether more upmarket than the average pulp paperback. It's derived from La Bęte Humaine, a Zola novel previously filmed – to considerable acclaim – by Jean Renoir.
Fritz Lang was clearly aware of Renoir's version: both films begin with the camera racing down the tracks. But Lang's film branches off onto another line, introduces a new set of passengers and transports them to a different destination. It's an engrossing journey for Noir aficionados, who'll enjoy some breathtaking views. And for Lang trainspotters, it's essential.
Human Desire, a film noir from Fritz Lang, is his remake of Jean Renoir's 'La bete humaine' and sees a married woman (Gloria Grahame) attempt to get rid of her husband (Broderick Crawford) through the help of Glenn Ford's train engineer.
Glenn Ford stars as Jeff Warren, who returns from the Korean War to his job as a train conductor. His colleague, Carl, suspects his wife, Vicky, of cheating. He becomes violent towards her and murders a man out of jealousy. Although Jeff is aware that Vicky witnessed the murder, he keeps quiet. The two become involved - and Vicky tries to persuade Jeff to kill Carl.
