This film takes the traditions of women’s films, i.e. female protagonists in a fight against or for a marriage and combines it with very skillful shooting and directing. You can definitely see that the development of film in the late 30’s into the early 40’s was one of slowing down the acting and creating more subtle beats and nuance especially in the morality of the film.
The trend continues. This film really tests the levels of morality. You are really forced to go into the skin of James Mason and give his villain the time of day in a creep way. This film prods you as the viewer to dig down into your own inner bestial tendencies and find his motivation inside yourself. It shows the captivating nature of what actors can do when given deep seated material.