There were a lot of reasons to see 'Dead Ringer' (also known as 'Dead Image'), not to be confused with David Cronenberg's brilliant 1988 'Dead Ringers', which also has twins as its main characters magnificently portrayed by Jeremy Irons. The title sounded unsettling. Bette Davis was a cinematic legend and a fantastic actress, one of the best. It had Andre Previn providing the music score. It was interesting seeing actor Paul Henreid as director. And the premise sounded great.
While the 1960s was not one of the best decades for Davis (though not quite twilight years quality in the same way as late Joan Crawford), there were exceptions that were very good to brilliant. 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane' gets my vote as the best of them all, but 'Dead Ringer' is also one of her better 1960s films and comes close to that film's quality. Just as tense, just as powerful and almost as demented. It also showcases what made Davis so good as an actress, if not as much as her work throughout the 40s and in the early-50s, and shows how versatile she was.
Occasionally it plods, namely in the early stages when setting up. Otherwise there is very, very little to dislike.
'Dead Ringer' is a very stylish and atmospheric looking film, especially the photography and the sometimes eerily shadowy lighting that fondly reminds one of film noir. Previn's music score is some of his best, most haunting and most orchestrally sonorous work on film and adds so much to the unsettlement, masterly stuff. Henreid's direction is suitably gritty and generates a lot of tension and taut pacing.
Moreover, the script is tightly structured and intelligent, flowing beautifully. The final line is pretty unforgettable. The cleverly plotted story is very suspenseful and genuinely frightening, while with nothing too predictable or credibility straining. The ending is clever and ties things up very believably. The characters are written well, with the twins very meaty characters (especially Edith).
All the cast do great jobs, even Peter Lawford who doesn't always do much for me. Karl Malden is a strong presence as always and even 'Singin in the Rain's' Jean Hagen shows up in a very different role to the one she plays in that film. Stealing the film quite rightly is Davis in one of the better portrayals of twins on film and she does brilliantly in making both of them interesting characters with never one-dimensional characteristics and a wide range of emotions. She is equally brilliant as both, but ever so slightly better as the meatier Edith.
Summing up, a great film and one of Davis' best 1960s films. 9/10
While the 1960s was not one of the best decades for Davis (though not quite twilight years quality in the same way as late Joan Crawford), there were exceptions that were very good to brilliant. 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane' gets my vote as the best of them all, but 'Dead Ringer' is also one of her better 1960s films and comes close to that film's quality. Just as tense, just as powerful and almost as demented. It also showcases what made Davis so good as an actress, if not as much as her work throughout the 40s and in the early-50s, and shows how versatile she was.
Occasionally it plods, namely in the early stages when setting up. Otherwise there is very, very little to dislike.
'Dead Ringer' is a very stylish and atmospheric looking film, especially the photography and the sometimes eerily shadowy lighting that fondly reminds one of film noir. Previn's music score is some of his best, most haunting and most orchestrally sonorous work on film and adds so much to the unsettlement, masterly stuff. Henreid's direction is suitably gritty and generates a lot of tension and taut pacing.
Moreover, the script is tightly structured and intelligent, flowing beautifully. The final line is pretty unforgettable. The cleverly plotted story is very suspenseful and genuinely frightening, while with nothing too predictable or credibility straining. The ending is clever and ties things up very believably. The characters are written well, with the twins very meaty characters (especially Edith).
All the cast do great jobs, even Peter Lawford who doesn't always do much for me. Karl Malden is a strong presence as always and even 'Singin in the Rain's' Jean Hagen shows up in a very different role to the one she plays in that film. Stealing the film quite rightly is Davis in one of the better portrayals of twins on film and she does brilliantly in making both of them interesting characters with never one-dimensional characteristics and a wide range of emotions. She is equally brilliant as both, but ever so slightly better as the meatier Edith.
Summing up, a great film and one of Davis' best 1960s films. 9/10