The film begins with Ann Sheridan coming home from a party and being attacked by an unknown person. The next morning, her husband (Zachary Scott) returns home from a business trip to find the police at his home. It seems that Ann killed the attacker and the story seems pretty open and shut--some guy broke into her home and she justifiably killed him.
However, just a bit later, you find that there's a lot more to the story. Ann actually lied and what exactly is the truth is something you are never certain of--even by the end of the film. What Zachary Scott and the police do know, though, is that at one point Ann and her attacker had actually been lovers! Now so far, I liked the film and its twists and turns--especially when you find out Sheridan isn't so sweet after all. However, what bothered me and made this film less interesting is that despite her being a liar (and possibly a cold-blooded murderess), other story elements are thrown in which muddle the whole thing. They actually tried to make the viewer feel sorry for her and understand why she might have been justified in lying--and this lost me. I would have MUCH preferred the story not taking this detour and being much more a story about an evil and conniving woman (such as Bette Davis'character in THE LETTER). The sympathy angle weakened the narrative--making this movie more of an interesting time-pass than anything else.
However, just a bit later, you find that there's a lot more to the story. Ann actually lied and what exactly is the truth is something you are never certain of--even by the end of the film. What Zachary Scott and the police do know, though, is that at one point Ann and her attacker had actually been lovers! Now so far, I liked the film and its twists and turns--especially when you find out Sheridan isn't so sweet after all. However, what bothered me and made this film less interesting is that despite her being a liar (and possibly a cold-blooded murderess), other story elements are thrown in which muddle the whole thing. They actually tried to make the viewer feel sorry for her and understand why she might have been justified in lying--and this lost me. I would have MUCH preferred the story not taking this detour and being much more a story about an evil and conniving woman (such as Bette Davis'character in THE LETTER). The sympathy angle weakened the narrative--making this movie more of an interesting time-pass than anything else.