Body and Soul

BODY AND SOUL is, like many another ancient talky, not terribly interesting to the modern viewer. Although it tries to say something meaningful about how war forces us to take a carpe diem attitude towards things, its meanings are inserted into a melodramatic plot with few skilled actors. Elissa Landi is very good in her down-to-earth and lady-like attitude towards the boys-will-be-boys standards of the fliers. Yet, dealing, as she must, with Charles Farrell, whose line reading is always overwrought, she seems a bit snide at moments. As the rest of the industry caught up with her, this sort of role would be taken typically by Irene Dunne. The opening up of the original play offers us some good camera-work by Glen MacWilliams, but that isn't enough to make this worth revisiting.

The primary reason to see this is to take a look at Humphrey Bogart, so young and good looking, that he is unrecognizable. Because his death in battle sets the plot in motion, he doesn't get much to do, but he certainly is up to doing it. Myrna Loy is present, still in her exotic villainess phase. Alas, the costume design is not particularly flattering to her, another clear sign that she is a bad 'un.