Cloudburst (1991)

So much average

People are voting emotionally.

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Absolutely Fantastic

Robert Preston had an interesting career. He started out as a movie actor, a star but not a big one, and drifted into television in its early days. Always a presence on Broadway, he achieved superstardom for his portrayal of Harold Hill in The Music Man, and went on to do the movie as well as other big films and Broadway shows, including originating the role of Henry II in The Lion in Winter.Here, he stars in a Hammer film from 1952, Cloudburst, based on a play by Leo Marks. Preston plays John Graham, a cryptographer and someone who worked in the Resistance. His wife Carol is played by Elizabeth Sellars. The two are very much in love, and she saved John's life during the war while, under torture, refusing to talk. They are expecting their first child.As a result of her experience with the Gestapo, Carol has a marked limp, and she falls in the road. A car runs her over and doesn't stop. The driver is a murder suspect trying to get out of town. Graham decides to get revenge and formulates a plan.There's nothing unusual about the story, except in this case, the story focuses in on the character of Graham, his calmness and determination while facing that he has lost everything and cares about nothing but revenge on the driver and his passenger, a woman who told him to keep driving.Colin Tapley plays Inspector Davi, and he does an excellent job.Worth seeing I think for Preston.The author, Leo Marks, kind of a film Forrest Gump. was a cryptographer during the war and gave the poem The Life that I Have to spy Violette Szabo to use as a code. Her story was made into a film in 1958 called "Carve Her Name is Pride," a beautiful film. After leaving cryptography, Marks began to write movies and plays, most notably the film Peeping Tom. His father owned the bookshop featured in 84 Charing Cross Road, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft.

I found this movie disappointing. With a plot like that, in a British movie of this era, and Robert Preston to boot, I had very high hopes.The first half is an extremely sappy love story between the two principals, told against grainy dim backgrounds in night scenes. After the accident Preston all too quickly gets his revenge and even more quickly he is picked up in a super efficient police investigation (there is never another suspect, they latch on to him for no reason).I would have preferred a more abbreviated romance, a longer search for the killers, and at least somewhat realistic detective work.The other scenes of Preston's work as a cryptographer seem to consist of a room of eight nondescript people mumbling to themselves. Is that really how they broke codes in the 50's?? Definitely not a keeper.

It appears not many have seen this film as evidenced by the few reviews. I was surprised that it was as good as it was given it seems few have seen it.Produced by Hammer Films of England, this is fairly light fare for them as they became primarily producers of horror films. Even still, there are some macabre elements to this film (several characters being run over by cars).Preston, as John Graham, is quite believable in his portrayal of an ex-commando for the Resistance, who is indebted to his wife, played very genuinely by Elizabeth Sellars, who also worked alongside him in the Resistance. He credits her for saving his life for refusing to divulge secrets under torture. She limps visibly as a result. They are expecting their 1st child. Tragically one evening she is the victim of a hit and run by murder suspects fleeing from capture. Graham recalls his wife saying (upon hearing of a murder) that her anger would hound the murderer like a cloudburst until she could repay what they had done. So he begins a systematic plan to get revenge on the 2 people who killed his wife.I thought Sellars had quite a beautiful and interesting face - especially her cheekbones. Its a shame she was killed off so early in the film.I think the writers did a good job of evolving the story. They don't reveal all about the Graham's past together and how she got the limp, saved his life, etc. until later. It keeps you intrigued.This is a classic revenge tale. But in light of his past as commando in the Resistance it makes sense. I was surprised that you never really see him rage, but it could be his training in special forces to just "get the job done". I question the likelihood that he would be stupid enough to leave his coded note behind at one of the crime scenes, unless that is part of his "I have nothing to live for" mentality and he is hoping to get caught. Certainly his training should have otherwise prevented this so perhaps it was intentional.All in all, I found this to be very suspenseful, although a little dark in places.

Poss Spoiler - This post-war-time black & white film from England stars Robert Preston (from films Music Man, Beau Geste) as Robert Graham, a married, WW II veteran. Placed in England in 1946, Cloudburst co-stars Elizabeth Sellars, Colin Tapley, Harold Lang, and Lyn Evans. We are shown right at the beginning that he speaks Japanese, French, Spanish, & Italian, and works in the secret Codes/Decryption office in England. All is well until a couple in a car kills someone close to him during a hit and run, then drives off. Determined to get revenge, he goes in search of them, and the chase is on. There WAS a British film also titled "Cloudburst" from 1922, but IMDb and Wikipedia have almost no information on that one. This 1951 film was from the play by Leo Marks, who really did work in the Coding/Encryption office during WW II. Screenplay and direction by Francis Searle. Interesting dilemma near the end, where two suspects who really ARE guilty of separates crimes deny knowing each other, to avoid prosecution. Will justice be done? The ending can be guessed, if one thinks about it, (but they didn't...) Entertaining story, no giant plot-holes. Also quite good quality sound and lighting, which wasn't always prevalent in British films back then.