ROPE OF SAND

US, 1949, 104 minutes, Black and white.
Burt Lancaster, Corinne Calvet, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Sam Jaffe.
Directed by William Diertele.

Rope of Sand is a forties thriller, set in South Africa. It is perhaps aspiring to be a reworking of Casablanca. It is an early Burt Lancaster vehicle. Corinne Calvet was at the beginning of her career and is the femme fatale.

There are also echoes of Casablanca with Claude Raines as a sinister businessman, Peter Lorre as Cody, Paul Henried this time in the Conrad Veidt role as the sadistic commander. It doesn't have the lightness of touch of Casablanca. It is quite an entertaining action thriller in the 40s style, film noir. Direction is by William, Diertele, best known for his biography films of the 30s and early 40s at Warner Bros. including those of Emile Zola, Louis Pasteur, Dr. Erlich, Juarez.

1. Interesting and entertaining thriller? In the 40s? the background of thrillers of the time, the touch of film noir?

2. Black and white photography, atmosphere of Southern Africa - remoteness, squalor, the sands and the desert? The musical score?

3. The title, the desert, the diamond fields? The sinister aspect of the fields, people and control, brutality and danger?

4. The American hero? The hunter, the background of his work for Martingale, the clash will Vogel? His absence after the brutality? His return? The quest for the diamonds? The interactions with Vogel and the brutality? Susan and his seeing through her, the relationship with her? Suggested rather direct? The interactions with Martingale, his cynicism, betrayal? The friendship with Cody and his help? The clash with Vogel's henchmen? the search for the diamonds, the map? His going into the forbidden zone, Susan and her help? The betrayals? The final confrontation with Vogel? His succeeding and getting the diamonds? A future, Hollywood style?

5. Vogel, his brutality? treatment of his men, his relationship with Susan, sadistic and jealous? Violence towards Mike, the past antagonism, the fighting? His wanting to get into the club, Martingale and his blackballing him? His angers, the final confrontation? Martingale and relationships with Mike, manner, his clients - suave and sinister, his wealth, past relationships with Mike, the greed for the diamonds, the proposal for Susan, her seductive manner, his brutalising her? the club, blackballing Vogel? The build-up to the climax - greedy, but cutting his losses?

6. Susan, the prostitute on the make in South Africa, glamorous and seductive? In the clubs? Her relationship with Paul and his being besotted by her? Her betraying him? The link with Martingale, his using her, her decision to play his game? Motivation? meeting with Mike, seduction, trying to get the information? Her change of heart, falling in love? Mike not believing her? Her trying to save him? happy ending - Hollywood morality?

7. Peter Lorre as Cody, his presence, his sinister laugh, the comic touch, wily? And getting his reward at the end?

8. The men, their brutality, Vogel's henchmen, betrayals? Greed?

9. The portrait of an isolated community, remote? Motivations, exploration and greed, deceit and betrayal?