Caught (1949)

i must have seen a different film!!

Excellent but underrated film

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

The penultimate feature made in Ophüls' transitory active stint in Hollywood (from 1947 to1049, 4 features totally), CAUGHT is an unconcealed reproach of the hidebound "marrying rich" indoctrination that poisons beautiful young women (from less affluent background) into taking it as their sole goal in life. The specimen under analysis is an unassuming young model Leonora Eames (Bel Geddes), who admittedly isn't cut out to be a devout gold-digger, however, by way of sheer serendipity she falls in with just the right target, the multi-millionaire Smith Ohlrig (Ryan), but their rushed matrimony doesn't augur well, as it is Smith's spur-of-the-moment decision to willfully contradict his headshrinker, only Leonora would have known better. Blatantly modeled after Howard Hughes, Smith is a callous, high-handed megalomania, incessantly suffered from psychosomatic angina when he cannot get what he wants. After a fallout, Leonora strikes out on her own, leaving their august mansion and starting to work as a secretary of Dr. Larry Quinada (Mason, in his stateside debut), a man who is the antithesis of Smith, mutual attraction sizzles during their working/after-working time, but to extricate herself from an abusive marriage, she has everything to sacrifice, including an unborn baby. The film's espousal of pro-choice is a gallant coup-de-thêàtre transpiring as the exit route to the ill-sorted nuptial pairing, yet it is so emphatically abrupt, to a point it almost demonizes Larry for semi-foisting her in such a dazed state, and foreshadows their future in the end, which is not exactly a happy one one might foresee. Entrusted with a very sympathetic role as the gaslighted wife who is caught into a snare, objectified as a rich man's property and agonized by his contempt and sneer, Barbara Bel Geddes handsomely struts her stuff in manifesting disparate layers of Leonora's emotional states, to a terrific impression. Regarding to the two dichotomy of her male co-stars, James Mason looks exquisitely dashing under the noir-ish shade, but as usual, it is the villain strikes gold, Robert Ryan effectively reveals a rough edge in his character and doesn't relent even in those tender moments, a monster crystallized by his own obstinance, vanity and oceanic ego, and he knows it too well to readdress his atrocity. Last but definitely not the least, what leaves a viewer profoundly awestruck is Ophüls under-appreciated (at least in its time) modality in his dexterity of unspooling the story, economy is judiciously achieved by applying newspaper tidings to inform the narrative's progression, not to mention those majestic-looking shots enriched by sublime composition, unconventional depth of field and transcendent chiaroscuro, often in gliding tracking shots meticulously choreographed by an invisible but steady hand. To all intents and purposes, CAUGHT is a neglected beauty needs to be dusted off from its ill-fated obscurity.

Poor innocent model Leonora Eames (Barbara Bel Geddes) meets arrogant volatile tycoon Smith Ohlrig (Robert Ryan). To spite his therapist, he marries Leonora without even being sure of her name. She is unhappy in their marriage but he is unwilling to grant her a divorce. She leaves her life of luxury to work as a receptionist in a doctor's office in the poverty-stricken lower east side. Smith pleads for her to return and she gets pregnant. It turns out that he hasn't changed one bit and he runs away to join Dr. Larry Quinada (James Mason) who she has fallen in love with.Barbara is doing a small performance as Leonora is a small personality. Her sweet middle-class nature is the perfect antidote to Smith. This is well made paperback romance movie. The start is a bit slow. It may be useful to introduce Dr. Quinada sooner. Maybe the movie can start with Dr. Quinada treating the models or simply be kind to Leonora. It would allow her a safe place to run away to the first time around.

Moody drama with fantastic acting. All three leads offer strong performances. Robert Ryan, arguably the best projector of menace to ever appear on screen here plays an even more odious character than usual. James Mason, no stranger to menace himself, handling the upright fellow this time and being very dashing about it. Interesting to see Barbara Bel Geddes this early in her career and playing a character so different from her famous Miss Ellie. Well directed with heavy use of shadows really making even the large rooms of the mansion feel closed in and oppressive. Watch closely towards the beginning and you will see Barbara Billingsley as a customer in the department store.

This movie grabs one immediately because of its cinematography. As it progresses it becomes an effective, and affecting, critique of the exchange of sexual favors for wealth and the treatment of humans as possessions. Ryan's portrayal of Ohlrig, the psychopathic business wizard, is exceptional: he excelled in the portrayal of hysterical males, and this performance highlights the contrast between his stunning good looks and ruthless personality (albeit in a less subtle way than in his seductive role in Clash by Night.) James Mason is more than adequate as the idealistic doctor who "rescues" Bel Geddes from her oppressive marriage. He gives an honest performance which avoids his tendency to indulge in ironic removal from his characters. Bel Geddes is the somewhat clueless product of cultural oppression: her character vacillates between frustration and despair, unable to reconcile her desire for freedom and self-worth with her position as the neglected toy of a rich man. Although many have wished for a tougher actress, Bel Geddes' rebellious doormat is believable because of her softness combined with intelligence. The cast, look, and attitude of Caught transcend its simplistic plot and bizarre denouement, making it a movie worth watching more than once.