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''Dark Waters'' is a 1944 American
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American '' ...
based on the novel of the same name by Francis and Marian Cockrell. It was directed by
Andre de Toth Endre Antal Miksa DeToth, better known as Andre de Toth (born Endre Antal Mihály Tóth; May 15, 1913 – October 27, 2002), was a Hungarian-American film director, born and raised in Makó, Austria-Hungary. He directed the 3D film ''House ...
and starred Merle Oberon,
Franchot Tone Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, producer, and director of stage, film and television. He was a leading man in the 1930s and early 1940s, and at the height of his career was known ...
, and Thomas Mitchell.


Plot

Leslie Calvin, the shaken survivor of a ship sunk by a
submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
, travels to her aunt and uncle's
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...
plantation to recuperate, but her relatives have other ideas. Thomas Mitchell, who played the congenial Gerald O'Hara in '' Gone With the Wind'', is a mysterious and fussy guest at the plantation. In a subtle nod to ''Gone With the Wind'', the aunt tells Leslie that "Tomorrow is another day."


Cast


Reception

The film was generally well received as accomplishing what it intended, with the ''New York Times'' stating it was "neatly produced and directed – and well played by an excellent cast."


Critical response

''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...
's'' film critic, Glenn Heath Jr., liked the film writing, "Mood dictates narrative in Andre de Toth's ''Dark Waters'', a hallucinatory jigsaw puzzle set in the deep swamps of 1940s Louisiana that becomes a perfect breeding ground for noirish shadows and deceptive wordplay ... ''Dark Waters'' ends with multiple dead bodies sinking into the bayou and Leslie directly confronting what one character calls her "persuasion complex." The bravura finale through the oozing locale is a stunner, and despite some surface romance that feels a bit forced, the film stays true to its mystically dark mood, a slithering distant cousin to Tourneur's '' I Walked with a Zombie''.Heath Jr., Glenn
''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...
'', film review, January 28, 2011. Accessed: July 4, 2013.


See also

*
List of American films of 1944 Below is a list of American films released in 1944. ''Going My Way'' won Best Picture at the 17th Academy Awards. The remaining four nominees were ''Double Indemnity'', ''Gaslight'', ''Since You Went Away'' and '' Wilson''. A B C D E-F ...


References


External links

* * *
''Dark Waters''
informational page and DVD review at DVD Beaver (includes images)
''Dark Waters''
film at
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television series ...
(free and complete) {{André de Toth 1944 films 1940s English-language films 1940s psychological thriller films American black-and-white films American psychological thriller films Film noir Films based on American novels Films directed by Andre DeToth Films scored by Miklós Rózsa Films set in Louisiana Films set on the home front during World War II Southern Gothic films United Artists films 1940s American films