Aside from the beautiful camera-work and scenery (including a few familiar places in Mexico), "Lady From Shanghai" doesn't have much to offer besides a mushy pile of screwed morals and a head scratching twist.
At the conclusion of the film, i was not really sure what i was watching. The plot was easy enough to follow, but the meaning of the film is still a bit fuzzy. It is enough to keep you thinking well after the movie is over. The mental imagery in the film compliments what is seen on screen and the plot very well. When O'Hara tells the story of the sharks eating each other, it serves two purposes- to foreshadow the fate of the elite seen in the film and when they finally kill each other, it is used as a simile.
The plan worked out by the scheming seductress Elsa is curiously portrayed. It is frustrating to watch unfold because the whole time O'Hara knew better than to get mixed up with her.
At the conclusion of the film, i was not really sure what i was watching. The plot was easy enough to follow, but the meaning of the film is still a bit fuzzy. It is enough to keep you thinking well after the movie is over. The mental imagery in the film compliments what is seen on screen and the plot very well. When O'Hara tells the story of the sharks eating each other, it serves two purposes- to foreshadow the fate of the elite seen in the film and when they finally kill each other, it is used as a simile.
The plan worked out by the scheming seductress Elsa is curiously portrayed. It is frustrating to watch unfold because the whole time O'Hara knew better than to get mixed up with her.