Gilda (1946)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  "This is the part I really like, when she does that shit with her hair." Red - Shawshank Redemption

• Reid V

  
  Post-war greed, tempting women, and dark souls collide in the seductive Gilda. In a world ablaze in celebration, director Charles Vidor suggests that even amid all of the gaiety, exists a group whose tortured existence is ruled by deceit. Men and women, looking to forget their past… More
  Post-war greed, tempting women, and dark souls collide in the seductive Gilda. In a world ablaze in celebration, director Charles Vidor suggests that even amid all of the gaiety, exists a group whose tortured existence is ruled by deceit. Men and women, looking to forget their past misfortunes, begin to amass new fortunes at the expense of others. Even strangers in the street allude to the fact that they are becoming immune to human compassion. The man in this particular tale is Johnny Farrell, played by the always excellent Glenn Ford. Farrell, a man who likes to think that he "makes his own luck", spends his days narrowly escaping one quagmire after another, only to find himself hastily picking up the scent of the next big score. During his ascendancy in a cartel under the partronage of Ballin Mundson, his world is turned upside down by the dazzling and vivacious Gilda, played by Rita Hayworth, who happens to be Mundson's newly betrothed. While both men previously acknowledge that women and gambling don't mix, they both cannot seem to ignore this high stakes game. As soon as Rita Hayworth flips her hair back, you know she is trouble. She just oozes sexuality and I even found myself lured in by all of her celebrated, albeit achromatic, features. Farrell's contempt for Gilda is twofold. First off, he doesn't like her because it is revealed that they have a torrid history together. Secondly, and of prime importance in my opinion, Farrell sees too much of himself in her. Jumping from opportunity to opportunity, looking for the next path to fortune, Gilda is a manifestation of Farrell's ethos. Which draws both Farrell's fascination and ire. In one of their more passionate exchanges, Farrell accuses of Gilda of using Mundson for personal gain, to which she responds "That wouldn't be the big pot calling the little kettle black, now would it?" They develop a deeply passionate love/hate relationship that brilliantly taps into the duality of a post-war mind. Vigor accents these themes with his use of shadows. Often Gilda and Jonny are cloaked in darkness. If they do happen to be seen in the light, their shadow is sure to be close by, prowling in the background. In one outstanding scene, when Jonny and Gilda appear to have been found out by Mundson, Vidor frames the shot so the cuckold is close to the camera, a large shadow looming in judgment over the accused. In the same shot, Gilda walks to the back of the frame before addressing her husband, drenching herself in darkness. Vidor's visual language gives a whole other meaning to the term "shady people." It is not a perfect story. In fact, I found the ending to be rather slapdash and saccharine. Yet, it is quite an entertaining sexually charged noir. If nothing else, it will help you better understand what had all of the men gawking in "The Shawshank Redemption. "

• Matheus C

  
  The camera was in love with Rita Hayworth and she made sure we noticed it. One of the best noirs out there with probably the most strange case of a mènage a trois ever seen in a Hollywood pic.

• AJ V

  
  Gilda stirs up trouble between two men who love her. An interesting, but slightly unoriginal.

• Jennifer D

  
  I'm not sure what it was, but I was just NOT captured by the story at all. I was just kinda bored and followed along, but was not captivated by the story or characters. However, it was gorgeously shot and Rita Hayworth is, well, Rita Hayworth! She is about as classy as a woman… More
  I'm not sure what it was, but I was just NOT captured by the story at all. I was just kinda bored and followed along, but was not captivated by the story or characters. However, it was gorgeously shot and Rita Hayworth is, well, Rita Hayworth! She is about as classy as a woman can get. It's a beautiful noir and for those things alone, I'll give it 3.5 stars, but the story doesn't really measure up to that. Also, I gotta say that every third word was "Johnny". Exhausting.

• Veronique K

  
  the best pleasure of watching gilda is undeniably rita hayworth's two musical episodes. "put the blame on mame" and "amado rio"...hayworth's superbly choreographed dance, her natural fluent rhymes of dance and her radiant looks tend to tantalize every… More
  the best pleasure of watching gilda is undeniably rita hayworth's two musical episodes. "put the blame on mame" and "amado rio"...hayworth's superbly choreographed dance, her natural fluent rhymes of dance and her radiant looks tend to tantalize every gaze, and she's turned into the ultimate personification of vital youth and flowery beauty, for which she stands out in the galaxy of bombshells as well as femme fatales and she's gonna make everyone (at least male) in the audience seat a willing sap for her impeccable feminine allure...as if you cannot resist the gentle touch of her handsomely wavy reddish hair which capitivates you with an imagined rosy scent which might as well infiltrate into the bottom of your soul with a sheer essence of fascinaion to arouse a turbulent desire in you (since you cannot smell her hair but imagine how it spells)..even she cannot kick ass and wisecrack back as tough broads like babara stanwyck, but rita still manages to intimidate simply by her beauty. after all, beauty does intimidate. the story is a love-triangle between a scar-faced casino owner, his sensational wife gilda and the loafing-gambler-turned-casino manager glenn ford. except the sexual antagonism between hayworth and glenn ford, the whole picture is a clumsy mess with absurd settings and unreasonable plots. first of all, the backdrop is argentine, a nightclub(which sounds noir) and the casino boss' mansion..second of all, the scenes just shift between nightclub and the mansion as you watch glenn ford chases rita hayworth back and forth in that several sets. then? but you will not complain because the idea that "hate is a very exciting emotion" still have some charm to keep your attention in this film. and the happy ending appears all too sudden without a bit of believability but audience will not complain, after all..it is GILDA. the neglected aspect of this movie will be its possible queer undertone which a friend of mine suggests..and the more i watch into the movie, the more i'm inclined to agree over that aspect. most people tend to assume that two men vie for the smashingly beautiful gilda, and glenn ford hates gilda because she ruffles his heart by constantly enticing his jealousy and also because he cannot break free of gilda's love spell....those facts are mostly correct except the part on gilda's husband...who might be bisexual. okay, here's the deal, in the outset of the movie, george macredy, who plays gilda's husband and glenn ford's boss, picks up ford in the slums and lures ford into his casino, then ford's offered a job as manager, and these two men keep tossing to "the three of us" in their conversations. then when ford's introduced to the eye-grappling gilda, ford seems to be upset because he doesn't expect the other woman to occur in his pact with macready...in one dialogue, gilda even askes macready, "what do you pick up this time, a man or a woman?" macready responds with "a boy" and he likes the way ford grows up into a man from a boy...doesn't that obviously suggest an unspoken understanding that gilda knows that she and ford are both picked and kept by macready as "mistresses"...and the character macready seems to have a peculiar way to express his bitter jealousy as if he's more sore over the fact that gilda seduces away his new conquest of love interest and ford, on the other hand, feels guilty because he cannot live up to his side of bargain with macready due to the involvement of gilda: ford's angry because he cannot remain his faithful affactions toward macready who he's supposed to love...at last, macready entraps his two "mistresses" for a double-cross because these two discriminate him as the outsider of their flamy passion, so he loses the sexual omnipotence which is depriven by gilda. in a nutshell, "gilda" is not as straight as you think..ha.

• Randy T

  
  Rita Hayworth's many talents are swell compensation for a slightly meandering and disjointed screenplay. It's one of her most memorable roles and deservedly so.

• William S

  
  Possibly my absolute favourite 'Queer Classic'. It always surprises me how many people don't see the very rich gay subtext at the heart of 'Gilda'. It's always been so obvious to me that it's barely a subtext at all and almost becomes the driving… More
  Possibly my absolute favourite 'Queer Classic'. It always surprises me how many people don't see the very rich gay subtext at the heart of 'Gilda'. It's always been so obvious to me that it's barely a subtext at all and almost becomes the driving force of the plot. The opening scene alone, as George Macready (at his most sinister and insinuating) picks up Glenn Ford (at his most boyishly handsome) at the docks, in a scene that practically simmers with innuendo (the lighting of the cigarettes, Ballin's loving description of his cane, "you must lead a gay life?"). And when Rita Hayworth turns up (burning up the celluloid in her most glamorous and filthiest role), it does nothing to 'straighten' proceedings - on the contrary it simply completes a very literal ménage à trois (in no uncertain terms, Gilda mockingly informs Johnny that he is as much 'kept' by Ballin as she is). But even without the gay 'subtext' Gilda is still one of the Golden Age's finest. It does lose some of it's vitality and delicious deviancy when Macready disappears from the proceedings - and, inevitably, it's 'queerness' dims a little. Also, the very 'tidy' moral ending is a bit of a letdown. But these are only minor flaws to be endured. Marvelous!

• Nicki M

  
  Had wanted to see this for a long time, so I was glad to see it shown on tv. If you like old movies, this is definitely one to check out. I loved the scene with Rita Hayworth singing in the nightclub. Characters not all that likeable, but a good movie.

• xGary X

  
  Gambler Glenn Ford is torn between ex lover Rita Hayworth and his loyalty to the friend he owes his life to leading to one of the most dysfunctional romances ever to grace the silver screen! Hayworth is absolutely stunning as the manipulative seductress and the on screen chemistry… More
  Gambler Glenn Ford is torn between ex lover Rita Hayworth and his loyalty to the friend he owes his life to leading to one of the most dysfunctional romances ever to grace the silver screen! Hayworth is absolutely stunning as the manipulative seductress and the on screen chemistry between her and Ford is the main reason why this film works. Their love-hate interplay is fantastic and the way your sympathies shift from one to the other is very nicely done. Unfortunately I found the plot little more than window dressing that is thoroughly overshadowed by the leading couple, and it all resolved itself a little too easily for me. But there are some really nice visual touches using light and shadow, thoroughly in keeping with the great tradition of Film Noir and it's certainly worth the time for Rita alone.

• Stephen M

  
  All in all, an excellent <i>film noir</i>. I couldn't quite get my head around all that business wrangling over George Macready's tungsten monopoly, but it's the sizzling atmosphere that really matters here. I especially like the way the… More
  All in all, an excellent <i>film noir</i>. I couldn't quite get my head around all that business wrangling over George Macready's tungsten monopoly, but it's the sizzling atmosphere that really matters here. I especially like the way the Ford-Hayworth-Macready love triangle is given a fascinatingly subversive twist whenever Hayworth and Ford compete for Macready's affection; to call it a homoerotic undercurrent between Ford and Macready might be an overstatement, but there's definitely something interesting going on there. Hayworth is magnificent - and it's impossible to imagine the movie being even half as good without her - but, for me, Macready steals the picture; it certainly weakens considerably when he disappears in the middle. So palpable is the menace oozed by Macready, we never doubt for a moment he's capable of doing something very nasty to Glenn Ford, however often latter might prove he can handle himself. I love the scene where Macready, chillingly shot in silhouette, catches Ford and Hayworth sneaking back from 'swimming'. The ending is a little lame though: "You're not really a bitch, I'm not really a bastard! D'ya fancy walking into that sunset?" - that kind of lame.

• Jennifer X

  
  So much stuff running through my head while watching this cinematic splendor. One of the best movies of the film noir age. It's dramatic but for once the drama is well-earned. At first you think Gilda is going to be the typical femme fatale and you hate her guts but secretly love… More
  So much stuff running through my head while watching this cinematic splendor. One of the best movies of the film noir age. It's dramatic but for once the drama is well-earned. At first you think Gilda is going to be the typical femme fatale and you hate her guts but secretly love her seduction but then all of a sudden layer by layer is unwrapped until all is left is the soft underbelly of vulnerability. Sexuality oozes out of Rita Hayworth au naturale. You get the feeling some actresses try too hard to attain this but Rita has the self-assurance of a truck...she's different from Monroe's ditzy loveability, she's tough as nails but voluptuously magnetic. Pictures don't do this woman justice because it's way she moves and glides and sings and speaks that give the real package. Seriously did people get dance training is this movie because everybody seems to have this purposeful glide even when they're being slapped around or fall down? For once it's the story that's not important and even to the actors it's somewhat of a farce. There is some serious hot-and-heavy going on with Ford and Hayworth and I can't stay away from any scene they're in together. But I think the interspersion of the ridiculous gang story is actually quite helpful because it doesn't make the chemistry too exhaustive. I honestly think this movie is a good blueprint for whomever wants to make a love-hate-misunderstanding film because it never shifts the focus yet doesn't focus TOO deeply.

• Stella D

  
  like the big sleep, the plot doesn't really hang together but who cares? i give it 4 stars for wicked chemistry and great atmosphere. gilda is fabulous but i think my fave character is the smartass philosophical mensroom attendant, uncle pio

• Ken S

  
  Rita where have you been all my life? This movie should be required viewing for anyone with eyes. This is a cinematic orgasm of galaxial proportion.

• Pierluigi P

  
  The gorgeous Rita, for her famous flirtation while dancing singing and marrying rich criminals, gets a slap full of anger by the cool Glenn Ford. a noir jewel, an imperishable delight.

• Michael G

  
  Rita Hayworth's a doll and Glenn Ford's a badass. Oh, and the film's great too. Definitely one of my favorites...

• Sunil J

  
  I liked the character of Gilda but the movie was really disappointing for such a great performance by Rita Hayworth.

• MJS M

  
  This is a movie that was more than likely greenlit because of the success of the movie Casablanca. Like that classic, this movie depicts a love triangle set against a seedy bar/casino in an exotic location. The similarities really end there as this story goes in decidedly more… More
  This is a movie that was more than likely greenlit because of the success of the movie Casablanca. Like that classic, this movie depicts a love triangle set against a seedy bar/casino in an exotic location. The similarities really end there as this story goes in decidedly more nourish territory. This is one of those odd movies that tried to tell an inherently sexual story within the limits of the old Hayes code. The result are a lot of straight faced innuendos and code words, like how the main character taught Gilda ?everything she knows? (translation: he broke her cherry). Perhaps the film?s greatest asset is Rita Hayworth, who lived up to her reputation of being a total sexpot. Her entrance into the film is an iconic shot and her strapless dresses are sexy as hell, I can tell why Andy Dufresne wanted her up on his wall. However the MacGuffiny and underdeveloped plotline about a Tungsten cartel that?s in the foreground is not as interesting as the coded sexcapades in the background. I also thought that the film?s happy ending was completely out of place. This is a film populated entirely by unpleasant people, that?s the whole point, but in the last ten minutes they decide that one of these unpleasant people is the real villain and the other two are allowed to live happily ever after. This undercuts everything that came before and contradicts every convention on film noir.

• Emily B

  
  "There never was a woman like Gilda!" A brilliant film noir, right from the opening shot. Hayworth is just dazzling, I think I'm in love with Rita Hayworth as Gilda! Glenn Ford and George Macready must also be mentioned, the gay subtext between them is intriguing,… More
  "There never was a woman like Gilda!" A brilliant film noir, right from the opening shot. Hayworth is just dazzling, I think I'm in love with Rita Hayworth as Gilda! Glenn Ford and George Macready must also be mentioned, the gay subtext between them is intriguing, and once Macready is out of the picture the film does go a bit downhill and ends up like any routine film noir. The dialogue is also snappy and suggestive and there are some excellent use of shadows, in particular one scene between Ford and Macready. A must see!

• Dimitris S

  
  Although I hate Rita Hayworth,that wasn't the big reason i chopped half a star.'46 had a couple of groundbreaking films like Great Expectations.Gilda is a passionately spirited film noir,dynamic and alluring.Of course it's a masterpiece but tiny tricks by a virtually… More
  Although I hate Rita Hayworth,that wasn't the big reason i chopped half a star.'46 had a couple of groundbreaking films like Great Expectations.Gilda is a passionately spirited film noir,dynamic and alluring.Of course it's a masterpiece but tiny tricks by a virtually talentless director don't help.The precise innovation instead for Gilda's extra points lies on Vidor's early experiments with shadows and different approaches of the actors.Something quite effective since he had a well-made story to deal with.

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