Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

An excellent noir thriller. Great acting, plotting, and, especially, great atmosphere. Everything seems to happen at night; in alleys with trucks hurtling inches away like blind monsters, in seedy hotel rooms furnished with mirrors and shadows, and up and down stairways, fire escapes, and tramways.Heinreid plays the flinty criminal who seems just a half step ahead of his pursuers throughout the film, which, tragically, is not quite enough to save him. As in the best noir films, fate toys with the protagonist. The murder of the doctor, Heinreid's doppelganger, backfires--far from insulating him from retribution, it proves unnecessary, multiplying the danger facing him. The murder scene sets up with a montage of haunting images flashing through Heinreid's mind as he drives the doctor to a remote bridge to ditch his body. Joan Bennett, with her droll, world-weary manner, ably reflects the cynical noir tone. Nonetheless, she also represents a redemptive quality which Heinreid eventually realizes he needs. The last scene shows his quest for her love derailed, as the underworld goons finally catch up with him. She was able to escape his world because she never quite let it overwhelm her.

There is a saying "The best fragrances came in small bottles" it fit in this picture,"Noir" is one's my favorite kind of movie, just to say only tree reach at high grade 10/10...Naked City,Double indemnity and now The Scar... even a B-movie it's very original an clever plot,the point is a perfect crime and as we all know probably end up seen found any time...but somehow it's didn't happen.. sometimes some situation is going in the wrong direction and the truth will be exposed,but nothing....the suspense is growing along the way...and when he is about to escape....well l'd better watch the movie for yourself!!!Directed by a unknown this movie has been discovered by thousand movie fans who really enjoy the seventh art...this one is perfect example of that many thing to came to surprise us!!Resume:First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 10

"Hollow Triumph" (aka "The Scar") is a dark thriller about a conceited criminal, a bungled heist and an incredible sequence of events that lead to an extremely ironic conclusion. The moral of the story is that no-one can deny their fate and that any attempts to do so will inevitably prove to be futile. This is a movie that's thoroughly absorbing and enjoyable to watch but one that also contains its share of bitterness and tragedy.John Muller (Paul Henreid) is a college educated con-man who, in the past, studied at a medical school and for some time after practised without a licence as a psychiatrist. When he's released from a prison sentence, the warden arranges for him to be given an office job at a medical supply company in L.A. in the hope that it will encourage him to settle down to an ordinary life and go straight. John has no such intentions and before taking up his job reconvenes his old gang and convinces them to take part in a high-value casino heist.The heist doesn't go according to plan and only John and his old friend Marcy (Herbert Rudley) escape. Marcy is terrified because casino owner Rocky Stansyck (Robert Browne Henry) is a vicious gangster with a reputation for hunting down anyone who crosses him. After the two men share their stolen money, Marcy heads off to Mexico and John leaves to take up his job in L.A.Shortly after beginning his new job, John discovers that he has a double called Dr Victor Bartok who's a successful psychologist and learns that the only obvious distinction between them is that Bartok has a prominent facial scar. John goes to Bartok's office where he meets the doctor's secretary, Evelyn Hahn (Joan Bennett). Although she's involved in a relationship with Bartok, Evelyn also strikes up a friendship with John which he uses to gain access to a number of Bartok's documents.John gets fired from his office job and then goes on to make a scar on his own face before murdering Dr Bartok and assuming his identity. Despite cutting the wrong cheek, no-one seems to notice and John seems to have made himself safe from being killed by Stansyk's men.Paul Henreid is extremely good as Muller and Bartok and convincingly conveys Muller's over-confidence and his disdain for anyone who sees any merit in being employed in a routine job. Joan Bennett is also excellent as Evelyn whose experiences with love have left her terribly disillusioned and the extinguishing of her last hope of happiness is a particularly poignant moment.Despite its lack of box office success, "Hollow Triumph" is a very well written movie with some memorable lines and also John Alton's wonderful cinematography.

This is all about light and shade, off-the-wall angles and an improbable plot. Luckily the lighting, angles, and camera-work in general keep the interest from flagging. Paul Henreid was never much of an actor albeit he lucked in to some pretty good movies - Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Casablanca, Now, Voyager - and he was shrewd enough to realise his shortcomings as an actor and get into directing. Strangely enough he only produced two movies and this was one of them in which he top-billed himself as an amoral criminal who is also sufficiently arrogant to attempt a casino heist that none of his associates want any part of. It goes wrong, natch, and leaves him on the lam. Improbably a stranger mistakes him for an analyst and he determines to see how much truth is in this. Turns out they could be twins except for the scar on the analyst's cheek. Nothing that can't be fixed. If you can buy this it's not a bad minor noir with an uncredited Jack Webb for good measure.