Swamp Water (1941)

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

A more than decent drama film with some elements of thriller, crime and romance in it. This is still the only film by Jean Renoir I have seen so far - shame on me, I suppose - but it has an interesting enough story and the sets (studio and in nature) are a pleasure to look at, as are Anne Baxter and Virginia Gilmore, by the by. The acting is all very much in order. Characters like Tom, Ben, Thursday, Julie, Mabel, Hannah and 'the wild bunch' that hangs out at the store a lot, are plenty believable.Other than that, there isn't a whole lot to say about it. It's the sort of film I like (as well), even if it is not a masterpiece. A small 8 out of 10.

Walter Brennan (Tom Keefer) has been on the run and made a life for himself in the Georgia swamplands after being wrongly accused of murder. Dana Andrews (Ben) comes across him when he goes looking for his dog and an alliance is formed. However, the townsfolk soon discover that Brennan is still alive as Andrews lets a few things slip to his girlfriend Virginia Gilmore (Mabel). It's up to Andrews to prove that Brennan is innocent and re-introduce him into society.The film starts well as we find ourselves in the swamplands being directed by Jean Renoir with layers of depth to every shot. It's a great beginning, it's just a shame that the beginning section of the film couldn't have been maintained all the way through. We needed to spend more time in the swamp. The story in the town takes up the majority of time of the film.....and it shouldn't...Almost everyone has an accent in this film which is a hindrance at times. Talk properly! Walter Huston as Andrews' father (Thursday) and Virginia Gilmore were the best of the cast and I think we needed more from these characters. Gilmore was gloriously spiteful and bitchy and Huston was broody and just ready to erupt, but sadly never got the chance to really let go at someone. The cast all do well but the story seemed to come to an end rather quickly. It would have been more effective to build more tension and see a confrontation between Brennan and the townsfolk.There's a good scene where Brennan gets bitten in the face by a snake and we have a touching moment as Andrews prepares to bury him. The film needed more swamp action.

A swamp that is widely perceived by all the locals as impenetrable offers refuge to a convicted murderer who has been hiding out there for years and has learned its lessons well enough to actually get by quite well. Fear of the swamp and its cottonmouths and alligators is enough to keep any civilized person out, but when a hunter's dog jumps out of his canoe and gets lost in this swamp, its the love he (Dana Andrews) has for his dog that draws him deeper into the swamp and sets up the meeting with fugitive Walter Brennan. It turns out the swamp isn't so bad after all, as Andrews and Brennan team up to collect a valuable set of furs from the animals they've trapped. Back in the town the truth of the murder for which Brennan faces hanging emerges in a very well told story. Jean Renoir was able to bring the town into the swamp or vice versa in this beautifully filmed movie. For sure the best actor awards go to Walter Huston who plays Dana Andrews father, and whose second wife is being courted by another great, John Carradine. The primordial beauty of the swamp makes a nice contrast to the dramatic backwoods small town swamp of this slice of America.

Swamp Water (1941) *** (out of 4) Renoir's first American movie is quite impressive and if you viewed this thing without seeing the opening credits you'd swear it was made by someone like John Ford. The film takes place in the Georgia swamps where trapper Ben Ragan (Dana Andrews) gets lost in the swamp only to be rescued by fugitive Tom Keefer (Walter Brennan) who has been hiding there to avoid hanging. The two strike up a friendship but Ben must keep him secret while back at town all hell is breaking loose. I guess Fox respected the talent of Renoir enough to give him an all-star cast, something that not even John Ford would get at the studio. Sure, there are a few problems with this film but there's no denying it's technical beauty and the terrific cast makes it a must see. The cinematography is what really stands out here as the B&W footage is so beautiful that you can't help but get drawn into the atmosphere of this swampy land. A lot of the footage here was shot on location and you can't help but feel like the swamps is one of the main characters as you can just feel the dirtiness of the water and sense all the creatures living in it. There's some obvious back-projection but this doesn't take away from anything. As far as the cast goes we're in for a real treat. Andrews is very good in his role and Walter Huston is just as impressive as his father. Brennan gets top-billing but he's actually not in the film too much. There's some debate on his performance here but I thought it was a good one even if I didn't believe him in the role too much and I'm curious if it would have been better had Huston and Brennan switched roles. Ann Baxter, Virginia Gilmore, John Carradine, Joe Sawyer, Mary Howard, Ward Bond, Russell Simpson and Eugene Palette round out the supporting players and all them fill their roles nicely. Even if the story is lacking in parts, you can't take your eyes off the screen because this wonderful cast takes up every inch of film so you've constantly got something fun to see. I think the mystery around the killing Brennan was accused for is too easy to figure out but this too is just a minor point. Considering the cast and terrific cinematography, I'm somewhat surprised this film isn't better know. It's certainly not a masterpiece by any standard but there's enough here to make it worth viewing to any film buff.