Die linke Hand Gottes (1955)

Die linke Hand Gottes: Directed by Edward Dmytryk. With Humphrey Bogart, Gene Tierney, Lee J. Cobb, Agnes Moorehead. At a Catholic mission in China, long-awaited “Father O’Shea” proves to be a tough guy, disturbingly attractive to mission nurse Anne.

“Great movie stars are rarely great actors. But they are people who exude elements of humanity, which weu0026#39;d like to possess- John Wayneu0026#39;s toughness, Sharon Stoneu0026#39;s glamour, Gary Cooperu0026#39;s inner silence, or Michael Douglasu0026#39;s ruthlessness. More unique than acting talent, Humphrey Bogartu0026#39;s element was that of hardened sinner whose inner spark of decency wasnu0026#39;t entirely subsumed. In this Cinemascope/colour movie, where Bogieu0026#39;s late-night drinking and myriad of broken marital relationships was visibly etched upon every facial crevice, the idea that he could pass himself off as a priest was ludicrous. But THE LEFT HAND OF GOD never demands that of him- nor us.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt makes instead, the not impossible proposition that a simple, remote Chinese community traumatised by marauders might presume Bogie to be the u0026#39;priest of Christu0026#39; they so anxiously await. We the audience, are privy to who Bogey is and still is. His un-Godly skill, which ultimately saves the mission from General Yangu0026#39;s terror, is entirely in character.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Catholic theology was also dead on. Those whom Bogie absolved, married and buried were spiritually exonerated by the very innocence we moviegoers cannot share about Bogart. The power of the central argument of William Barrettu0026#39;s much dissipated novel, in spite of -or maybe because of, 50u0026#39;s Hollywood formulaic moviemaking- is somehow preserved.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe repetitious references to Bogey as u0026#39;the priest of Christu0026#39; and the ingenuous childrenu0026#39;s enigmatic broken-English farewell of u0026#39;Oole Kantackee Hom,u0026#39; also persuade. We know Bogey must leave, and that he is redeemed in spite of himself. Even Bogie doesnu0026#39;t know that. We now also know that this life-scarred, bloodshot, poker-playing sceptic received a fair Hearing- after dying from throat cancer less than two years later on January 14th 1957 -at least from the left Hand Side of his Maker.”