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Actors: Louis Hayward, Jane Wyatt, Lee Bowman, Dorothy Patrick
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about House by the River |
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HOUSE BY THE RIVER is a movie directed by Fritz Lang in 1949.
Stephen Byrne, a writer, tries to seduce his maid but murders her when she rejects him. Stephen asks his brother John to help him get rid of the corpse in the river nearby. John is at first reluctant but agrees when Stephen tells him that his wife Marjorie has just learned that she's pregnant, which is untrue. The following days, Stephen acts as if nothing had happened while John is feeling more and more guilty.
When the maid's body is finally discovered, Stephen takes advantage of the event in order to promote his new book. During the inquest, his brother John is suspected of the murder because the sack in which the maid was found was his but no further evidence is found and the case is closed. Now Stephen Byrne has begun to write a new book, utilizing the circumstances of the murder for the plot. He's also tired of his brother's remorse and seriously considers to help him commit suicide.
--Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of House by the River |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1900-1920's
Family, struggling with
Yes
Struggle with:
- Brother
Crime & Scandal
Yes
Blackmail & Seduction?
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- writer
Age:
- 40's-50's
Eccentric:
Yes
- mentally ill
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- irritated
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor?
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Body type
- (woman) average
How much in movie?
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- small businessman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 80%
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- missing body parts/abilities
Setting
United States
Yes
Water?
Yes
Water:
- river
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Movie makes you feel...
- in awe
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
Check here if B&W
Yes
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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