The Letter
The Letter
NR | 23 November 1940 (USA)
The Letter Trailers

After a woman shoots a man to death, a damning letter she wrote raises suspicions.

Reviews
VeteranLight

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

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Griff Lees

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

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Mathilde the Guild

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

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Paynbob

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

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siqian-53477

The letter movie review In the "The letter" directed by William Wyler in 1940, Bette Davis successfully expressed Leslie's struggle feeling behind the murder case. The mystery takes place in early 20 century in Malaysia; the setting combines the western style with the eastern culture which can catch audience's' attention in the first sight. The story began with the wife of plantation shot a man to death, which she later claimed to be self-defense in the interrogation.Although her attitude was firm and clear, her statement wasn't flawless. Later on, after she got arrested, Robert(Herbert Marshall)'s lawyer(James Stephenson) discovered a letter that was written by her, and it was contradicted to Leslie's previous testimonies. When the lawyer discovered that the real relationship between Leslie and the victim, he had to face the choice between friendship and justice. Additionally, people start to get involved in the matters, such as the deadman' widow(Gale Sondergaard), the Malayan clerk (Victor Sen Yung), and the public community...In the first scene of the movie, the audience directly witnesses the aggressive murder, that attracts the audience's attention immediately, and leave a deep impression that will stand out over time. The pace of the story was fast, the events happened one after the other, which fits the taste of majority. The prominent actress Bette Davis was one of the greatest actresses in the Hollywood history. She was famous for playing the antagonists in many movies.In "The Letter," she performed her usual "overacting" akill greatly, and every physical mannerism and facial expressions of hers conveyed the emotions of the characters. For example, in the last scene where Leslie said" With all my heart, I still love the man I killed.", Bette gave a sudden turn and a raise of intonations, which revealed Leslie's real feelings toward the deadman in a manner of outburst. That leads to audience' deeper understanding of the pain and struggle behind Leslie's cold mask.Overall, the camera move was great and smooth, the actors were amazing, the music was stunning, and the story was catchy and interesting.8 stars great movie:)

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kobisims

Personally, I really enjoy this movie. The story line was good, and the graphics were really good for the 40's also the angles of the camera were good and the production of the the movie was really good. The only problem I had with the movie was that the acting was dramatic and when she killed him there wasn't a story leading up to his death.

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akbotkin

The LetterIn William Wyler's feature motion picture, "The Letter," a captivating film-noir drama is presented to viewers with a collection of unique cinematic devices which keep our perception ever changing and hungry for an end to the meandering whereabouts of the flustered protagonist. Within the fluid array of suspenseful scenes, onlookers will be dazzled by actress Bette Davis's performance, which displays a critical acknowledgement of realism as she reflects the actions of a seemingly simple house wife. Along the way, we see how she interacts with the murder case she is involved in, and how she struggles to hide crucial evidence in the pursuit of her wellbeing. These events alone paint the means of an interesting drama, but the setting adds yet another layer of depth as the characters dwell in the lush encapsulation of Singapore, which is bustling with energy and vibrance. It is difficult to express the scope of overwhelming detail that filmmakers contributed to the set, music score, and cinematography as they all culminate to create an enjoyable story told through a still young 1940s artistic medium.From the get go, audiences are submerged into the action as they hear the violent pops of a gun firing off one after the other, and witness the body of Geoffrey Hammond falling to the doorstep of the cold-blooded main character, Leslie Crosbie, who is the wife of a local rubber plantation operator. Throughout the film, Leslie claims that the assault was only with intent of self defense, and she spends the majority of her time dilligently toiling away at the case, ensuring her protection during trial. Each fleeting moment progresses the suspenseful mood, and keeps viewers engaged with the twists and turns of the movie, leaving little room for unnecessary down time and pointless additions. While the plot does seem to suffer from some obvious cliches in this expansive genre of film-noir thrillers, it certainly introduces exciting detours that you wouldn't expect to see in a motion picture for the time. Overall, the plot of "The Letter," is just one of the praiseworthy elements which hooks observers, and never ceases to deliver a new and original perspective on the dynamic action within it.Leading us to the more refined details, what can be said regarding the film's remarkable cinematography? If one were to examine each shot closely, it would be quite apparent that nearly all of them demonstrate a close attention to detail, as many of the scenes in the movie are picturesque and show utter scrutiny for the emotion and expression within the characters. The visual appeal of light and dark in the black and white setting plays only to an advantage for this motion picture, with various moments depicted with deep shadows or vigorous lighting helping to bring a delightful contrast to life. As stated, the cinematography can only be described as stunning, and deserves to be hailed for its forward thinking approach.With further continuation for the film's acclaim, it must not be ignored that the musical score, directed by Leo F. Forbstein, is an excellent component to the overall impact of the scenarios. Throughout, Forbstein's cunning use of the orchestra complements each word spoken as it seems to doubly express the same emotion that the actors exhibit. The alluring euphony of the soft strings adds mysticism and dimension to this work, and emphasizes the ongoing action within the motion picture. His provocative pieces devote even more to the fact that this is a work of art.At last, Wyler's precise talent for story telling shines through this exceptional cinematic masterpiece. Perhaps this movie will inspire future filmmakers and viewers alike, who aspire to create work so outstanding, which even to this day remains magnificent and relevant. My vote is nine.

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wheels-16275

This film is called The Letter. The following stars of the film are Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, and James Stephenson. The setting was in Singapore. This was a crime, drama, and mystery.This film starts out with showing the scenery of Leslie Crosbies (Bette Davis) house. And all of a sudden Leslie and Mr. Hammond coming out of the house with Leslie Crosbie shooting him many times. Leslie claims that the man assaulted her and tried to make love to her. Leslie was taken to jail until the trial in court. However Leslie's lawyer Howard Joyce receives news that there is a letter in Leslie's handwriting saying she asked for Mr. Hammond to come to her house and that she was alone. Leslie's Lawyer asks if she wrote that letter and at first she denies it then admitted she had wrote it and all of a sudden she passes out onto the floor.The acting in this movie was done very well. Including Bette Davis. She was good at looking very suspicious and creepy at times throughout the film. Examples are when she is trying to think of what to say and she has a rather frighting look on her face. The acting of the Lawyer in this film was also pretty good. The lawyer didn't really believe was Leslie was saying but he was good at not showing that.The background music was a key aspect throughout this film. Whenever something dramatic occurred in this movie there was always background music to make that scene much more suspenseful. An example would be in the beginning of the film when Leslie(Bette Davis) was shooting Mr. Hammond multiple times there was that background music playing to add more suspense to the movie.I thought this film was very well thought out and made when I started watching it. The quality of the film was very good for that time it was made it. And the sound of the actors voices were very clear. To other viewers I'd say if you like mystery/crime-drama then you would enjoy this film.

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