The Letter (1940)
4/10
Dull and thinly plotted
11 January 2006
I can't understand the big deal about this film. After a beautifully filmed opening sequence, "The Letter" deteriorates into a mind-numbingly boring waste of time. The plot is obvious – Bette Davis murders a man whom she claimed tried to rape her -- and then an incriminating letter that she'd written to him on the same day surfaces.

The film coasts on Davis's charm as a rather loathsome character, with only her performance, some great cinematography and a clever (albeit completely predictable) ending to hold it together. The story's thin, most of the acting is atrocious, the dialogue is even worse… and then there's the score – easily the most obnoxious and redundant musical score that's ever assaulted my ears. If it's your cup of tea, good for you, but I personally found it to be a pretty dull waste of time.
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