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The Key (1958)

Director: Carol Reed

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2 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Extraordinary, unwieldy World War II naval epic which fails to deliver as much as it promises, but promises so much as to be worth while none the less. Swiss waif Loren shelters and succours a succession of war-weary tugboat captains who are never quite sure whether she's a goddess or a whore, an island of love in the cold, cruel sea or a siren leading them on to their doom. Loren is excellent, and the film plays interestingly with the idea of a woman's mystery being the product of male prejudice and fear. But the dictates of the international box-office - lots of naval manoeuvres and a turgidly wooden American hero - result in a fascinatingly enigmatic melodrama being buried within a stolidly conventional war film.

Author: RMy 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

  • Reg chiddick said...
    Posted on Nov 03 2007 06:15 Great film and I would love to see it again. perhaps I should write to BBC and ITV to see if it is still available.
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  • Dick Sawdon Smith said...
    Posted on Sep 17 2007 06:18 I saw this film when it came out originally (which rather dates me) and it is the only time I have wanted to stand up in a cinema and shout at the actors. I wanted to shout 'don't give him the Key'. I have never seen it again on television or else where but would love to, if only to check whether it would have such a dramatic effect on my feelings. But I wuold also like to see if I still think it the great film that I did at the time. Does anyone know if it was ever brought out on video or DVD?
    Dick Sawdon Smith
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Cast & crew

Director: Carol Reed

Producer: Carl Foreman

Cast: Sophia Loren, Trevor Howard, William Holden, Kieron Moore, Oscar Homolka, Beatrix Lehmann, Noel Purcell, Bryan Forbes, Irene Handl, Carl Möhner, Bernard Lee full cast

Genre(s): War

Duration: 134 mins


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