Highly Overrated But Still Good

An Exercise In Nonsense

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

A story of intrigue and, finally, some action during the Reign of Terror. The Reign of Terror followed the French revolution. The usual narrative looks something like this.The King in his counting house was a lazy lout. So were his buddies and his various mistresses. (If the people have no bread, "Let them eat cake.") But the people of France rose up in their righteous wrath, overthrew the King, and in 1793 lopped off his head at the central square in Paris known ironically as the Place de la Concorde. Then, as often happens in the aftermath of revolutions, the revolutionaries went ape.Others who met Madame Guillotin at the same spot, often to cheering crowds, included Queen Marie Antoinette, Princess Élisabeth of France, Charlotte Corday, Madame du Barry, Georges Danton, Camille Desmoulins, Antoine Lavoisier (yes, "the father of modern chemistry"), Maximilien Robespierre, Louis de Saint-Just and Olympe de Gouges. Lavoisier was the chemist who discovered oxygen and hydrogen. He was convicted by the revolutionary court of selling adulterated tobacco. I think their barbers and shoe shine boys met the same fate. Fidel Castro worked his way down to mailmen.As far as I can tell, this is a fictional story of Robert Cummings posing as an imported German executioner and detective working for the evil Richard Basehart as Robespierre, the chief rebel, who wanted to become dictator. I really don't know much about these shenanigans because while everyone else was taking French Civilization, I was taking German Civilization. They got Napoleon and a pastry; I got Bismark and a herring. Everybody knows Victor Hugo but they'd think the novelist Kleist was a Chinese Messiah.Arlene Dahl is stunning and dull. Richard Basehart is fine as the arid and ambitious Robespierre but he's trapped in his dark clothes and powdered wig. Robert Cummings is not the kind of guy you'd expect in a role like this. The director, Anthony Mann, and photographer, Alton, have filled the screen with stark shadows and ominous entries and exits. I never thought of Cummings a wooden -- he's good at light comedy -- but he spends much of his time here looking down his nose and sneering. I guess that's his idea of what a fake executioner should look like.In a way, this could easily be a Cold War movie (1949) with the evil USSR trying to dominate the world and executing all its enemies. Gospoda instead of Citoyen. With Josef Stalin in charge, it wouldn't have been too far from the truth. Or -- it could have been an anti-Nazi spy movie from the war years. Or -- with a bit of tweaking -- Robespierre could have been turned into Mister Big in a 30s gangster movie. What I mean is that there isn't much nuance on display, just good versus evil.It livens up considerably as the story unfolds. Carriages chase one another; the pursued pair hide in the hayloft; long hot pursuits on hot horses; Charles McGraw at his least kempt; the MacGuffin is a black book that is stolen from the wrong hands but may be recaptured. Some Corsican soldier named Bonaparte makes an appearance at the end.That Corsican shows up for good reason. A mob can't control itself. As Judge Learned Hand put it: "A society in which men recognize no check on their freedom soon becomes a society where freedom is the possession of only a savage few."

"The Black Book" or "Reign of Terror" is a fictitious story that takes place during the infamous 1793-94 French Revolution period known as The Reign of Terror. Historians may yet be divided on the virtuous or vile nature of Robespierre (apparently, he was known for both). But this film leaves no doubt about his consenting to, if not instigation of many murders of innocent people. Richard Basehart's Robespierre shows the cleverness and oratory for which his character was known. And he plays the would-be dictator of France to the point of madness in some scenes. Note his "logical" reasoning to support killing of many innocent people. That portrayal leads one to think that perhaps the man was driven partially by a paranoia that was fueled by the uncontrollable and uncivilized conditions which he himself helped create. Robert Cummings plays the hero of this film very well. Cummings was most known after the mid 20th century for his comedy and romance roles in film and on TV. But he had many dramatic roles early in his career, and was very adept at acting in all types of roles and all film genres. The other characters are well played as well. Arlene Dahl as Madelon, Arnold Moss as Fouché, Norman Lloyd as Tallien, and Jess Barker as Saint Just. The dialog is particularly sharp and crispy for Robespierre's character. In an early scene, he has condemned an innocent man to the guillotine without even a trail. The man's wife pleads with Robespierre who is unyielding. She says, "Stop playing God." He replies: "God? The revolution abolished God. There's only the will of the people. And the people have spoken." Toward the end, Saint Just says, "The mob's gone mad. They'll tear us to pieces." Robespierre replies, "I made the mob. The mob are my children. They won't turn against their father."Then he shows the power the real Robespierre must have had to mesmerize the people. "The greatest death a man can die is for his own people. But you would then be without a leader. If I go, who takes my place? Let the man step forward who can follow in the steps of Robespierre. I have led you through the darkness. If I sought the power of dictatorship, it was not for personal glory. Your will is my will. I bear no man ill. I have killed only for you."In real life, Robespierre said, on February 5, 1974, that "Terror is nothing else than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible." (See: "Pageant of Europe," Ed. by Raymond P. Steams, 1947) In this movie, a man shoots Robespierre in the mouth; but in real life, he attempted suicide. He shot himself but the bullet just shattered his jaw. The next day he was guillotined without a trial, in the same fashion that he himself had sent so many to their death. A few films have been made about Napoleon, the War of 1812, and other European battles of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. But not many films have been made that look critically at the French Revolution and the turmoil that completely changed a national culture – not all for the best. Perhaps that's why – the ugly actions and drastic measures that were anything but vestiges of freedom and human rights. So, while this film is fiction, the events it covers are very real. And, it doesn't shy away from showing the horrors of the time. For that reason, "The Black Book" has some historical value as a film. History buffs and those who like intrigue and action should enjoy this film.

I'd love to be able to give this film a higher rating, because I'm sure it's excellent. Unfortunately, the disc I have of this is a very poor print, and the dialogue was so fuzzy I missed a lot of it."Reign of Terror" is a 1949 film directed by Anthony Mann and stars Robert Cummings and Arlene Dahl.The time is May 1794. Robespierre (Richard Basehart) wants to become dictator of France. Supposedly he has a black book containing the names of his enemies, all of which he plans on destroying. The book is missing. He brings in a man named Duval to help find it. Duval, however, has been replaced by Charles D'Aubigny, a patriot who wants to bring down Robespierre.This filmed moved quickly, and Cummings and Dahl certainly made an attractive couple. She was one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood - you can even see that through a lousy print. Cummings would go on to huge success in television; as a film star, he was a second stringer at best, always likable, but probably better suited to comedy. However, under Mann's direction, he does a good job.Basehart is wonderful as Robespierre, and Arnold Moss, who looks like he could have been Adrien Brody's father, is an effective Fouche, who became later the head of Napoleon's secret police.France continued to have a tough time after the monarchy was brought down. Robespierre was a complicated person with high ideals, but he used terrorism to achieve them.

The Black Book is an unknown gem from one of Hollywood's more obscure studios. Eagle-Lion may not have had a lot of money but they showed impeccable taste when hiring a director and photographer. They got Anthony Mann to direct and the incomparable John Alton as their cinematographer for this thrilling noir about the French Revolution. What more could they have asked for?Well, they might have gotten a better leading man as well as a female lead. Apparently the money was running out when they signed up Bob Cummings and Arlene Dahl. Cummings was never an action hero, a Stalwart, so to speak. He was a light comedy supporting actor, diffident and indecisive, and it was tough sledding trying to imagine him as a two-fisted tough guy. Arlene Dahl was breathtakingly beautiful but a limited actress, even though she was better here than any other role of hers that comes to mind. Had they acquired better stars I think I could have upped my rating, because Mann has created a minor classic in 'The Black Book'. The supporting cast is better than the leads, especially Arnold Moss as Fouche and Richard Basehart as Robespierre.I'm surprised this picture doesn't have a better following, with just a few hundred votes, so if you see it you can count yourself among the lucky few.