The Woman in the Window. 1944. Directed by Fritz Lang.

(July or August 2000)

Another man comes to ruin because of a woman. Fritz Lang's film is a nightmare--literally. The whole film is brutally disfigured by the ending which reveals the whole thing to be a dream.

Dream or not, there is a sadness which hangs over the film. Edward G. Robinson has an affectionate relationship with his wife who goes away on a vacation, yet he admits he hates the restrictions placed on his life and the fact that he can't seek adventure. His middle-aged friends tease him about this.

He has a dream about an involvement with a glamorous young woman, murder, blackmail and eventual suicide. It is like this film skirts dangerous territory but had to pull back and provide the relief of a dream ending. And the ending really does provide a great sense of relief.

I really enjoyed the shots of city streets at night, particularly when it was raining. The film revels in its description of police work and it is delightful when Robinson makes slips which indicate that he is more familiar with the events than he would like the others to realize. My favorite is when he and his detective friends go to visit the spot where the body was discovered and Robinson starts leading the way, like he knows just where the body was found. (He does.)

There is a real spark to the scene where blackmailer Dan Duryea comes to Joan Bennett's apartment. There is a real chemistry between the two of them.

The dream ending actually covers up at least one hole in the story. Robinson knows that Dan Duryea can't go to the police with his information because he is wanted on other charges. So why all the worry and fuss? The fact that it's a dream also takes care of the problem that Robinson and Bennett never even consider the factor that the killing was done in self-defense.

It's quite fascinating how the dead Dan Duryea is taken for the killer. This is omething which will happen again in Scarlet Street, only in that film he is quite alive when it happens. In both cases he becomes what is referred to in gangster films as "the fall guy."