Robert Wise’s *Born to Kill* isn’t a film I’ve ever considered one of the better noir movies. It frequently appears on "best of" lists, and many people whose opinions I respect enjoy it, so I was hoping a fresh viewing might reveal something new. However, for me, it remained essentially the same movie. It's an enjoyable picture, but it’s excessively melodramatic, with subplots that don’t really resolve themselves, and its characters are mostly flat and unbelievable. A truly great noir, like *Double Indemnity* (1944), has a quality where you feel like what's happening could conceivably occur to you or someone you know. Regardless of how outlandish the schemes might be, if they’re carried out by people who seem real, I can usually accept it without questioning things too much. *Born to Kill* tells the story of two social climbers with antisocial tendencies: Helen Brent (Claire Trevor), recently divorced, and Sam Wild (Lawrence Tierney), newly released from prison. They meet in Reno. Helen is there for a quick divorce, while Sam is accompanied by his nervous sidekick, Mart Waterman (Elisha Cook Jr.). Helen is staying at a boarding house run by the slovenly Mrs. Kraft (Esther Howard), who’s drinking beer with Laury Palmer (Isabel Jewell) in the middle of the afternoon. After Laury goes on a date just to make her boyfriend jealous, she invites him back for a drink. When he goes into the kitchen, he finds Sam waiting for him. The film's most striking moment is Sam’s brutal killing of both Danny and Laury. The sound of crickets, the tidy lawns around Mrs. Kraft’s boarding house, a dog barking in the background, and upbeat swing music playing on the radio all contribute to a sense of unsettling familiarity. The rest of the film didn't quite work for me. Sam’s friend Mart tells him, "You can't just go around killing people whenever you feel like it; that’s not practical.” I felt the same way about the plot itself. It simply isn't practical. After the murder, Sam leaves town. He runs into Helen again on a train to San Francisco. When they get off, Sam suggests sharing a cab, but Helen says she’s going in another direction. He replies, "That’s where you’re mistaken; we’re headed in the same direction.” Sam inserts himself into Helen's life. They are clearly drawn to each other, but she insists that nothing will stop her from marrying her fiancé, Fred Grover (Phillip Terry). So Sam turns his attention to her sister, Georgia Staples (Audrey Long), a wealthy heiress—or, more accurately, a foster sister, as Helen bitterly points out to Sam. Not only is Georgia beautiful, but, as Sam tells Mart, "Marrying into this crowd will let me get away with anything." Meanwhile, back in Reno, Mrs. Kraft hires a sleazy private investigator named Matthew Albert Arnett (Walter Slezak). Esther Howard’s performance as Mrs. Kraft is peculiar and reminiscent of her role as “Filthy Flora” in *Dick Tracy vs. Cueball* (1946). Helen and Sam engage in a doomed, twisted affair. "Fred represents peace and security," Helen laments. “You,” she says to Sam, "are excitement, depravity—you have a kind of corruption inside you." Arnett starts poking around. Sam and Georgia argue after she refuses to let him manage the family business. Mart Waterman shows up in San Francisco and moves in with this unhappy group. (Is he Sam’s partner or his secret lover? The film doesn't clarify.) Eventually, all the plot threads become tangled, leading to a series of murders and betrayals. This is the second or third time I’ve seen *Born to Kill*. While I’ve complained about its ridiculous plot, perhaps I just want it to be something different than what it is. Maybe I'll watch it again someday and appreciate its over-the-top characters, unrealistic scenarios, bizarre supporting roles, and generally heightened sense of style. My biggest problem with *Born to Kill* lies in the relationship between Sam and Helen. Claire Trevor is a talented actress, but I couldn’t accept that she would love Sam enough to abandon everything for him. Her reactions when she's with Fred, Georgia, and Sam seem more like they were written down than genuine, and her performance as Helen seems too intelligent and composed for the degraded character she portrays. Lawrence Tierney is a commanding presence, but he’s not a particularly skilled actor, especially when subtlety or range are required. Not only does Sam Wild commit murder on a whim, but he can manipulate others to do his bidding, getting Mart to kill for him and getting Helen to provide an alibi at the drop of a hat. He's a brutal alpha male, and loving him may defy logic, but that’s never stopped anyone before. Robert Wise directed *Born to Kill* with energy. The cinematography by Robert de Grasse is excellent, particularly in the nighttime scenes. Paul Sawtell’s music is lively. I found the plot absurd, but that shouldn't deter any noir fans who haven't seen *Born to Kill* from giving it a look.

Source on TMDB