The Reckless Moment

The Reckless Moment (1949)

  • 42% want to see it
    (681 ratings)

A blend of melodrama and film noir, The Reckless Moment stars Joan Bennett as Lucia Harper, a suburban housewife whose husband is away on business. Her daughter, Bea (Geraldine Brooks), an aspiring artist, has fallen for Ted Darby (Shepperd Strudwick), a shady older man from Los Angeles who claims… More

Unrated, 1 hr. 22 min.
Directed By
Max Ophüls
Written By
Mel Dinelli, Henry Garson
Genres
Drama

Critic Reviews

  • Sean Axmaker, Parallax View

    It certainly makes for the purest and most impossible love of [Max] Ophuls' films, and for me, the most emotionally compelling.

  • Chris Cabin, Filmcritic.com

    a rather original take on what is usually a very pedestrian setup

  • Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    A very engaging thriller...

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Bob S


    Affecting but slightly unsatisfying real-world noir. Wonderful in parts but rushed in others. I'm thinking perhaps the demands of Hollywood and a modest budget took a couple courses out of this film.

  • First L


    The last of director Max Ophüls' Hollywood films, The Reckless Moment doesn't necessarily distinguish itself other than Joan Bennett's intense performance. It's actually a rather unconventional film noir starring Bennett as the well-to-do mother of a teenage… More

  • jay n


    Taut drama with the always underrated Joan Bennett great as the panicked mother and James Mason just right as the conflicted anti-hero. Wonderfully directed by Ophuls and atmospherically shot this was updated as The Deep End with Tilda Swinton also a fine film but this has a distinct… More

  • Stella D


    nominally film noir, the film has more in common with the melodramas of douglas sirk. based on a story from the ladie's home journal, as many so-called 'women's pictures' were, the plot follows an upper middle class housewife trying to keep her family running… More

Cast

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