Unter Wasser stirbt man nicht (1975)

Unter Wasser stirbt man nicht: Directed by Stuart Rosenberg. With Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Anthony Franciosa, Murray Hamilton. Harper’s a big-city PI, who travels to Louisiana to help an old girlfriend who’s worried her husband will find out she’s been cheating on him.

“Newman reprises his role as Lew Harper for the second and final time in the long-awaited sequel to 1966u0026#39;s HARPER, another twisting mystery; this time set in Louisiana. Unfortunately, THE DROWNING POOL was tepidly received by both critics and audiences, most of whom seemed to think the film paled in comparison to the original. I am one viewer who disagrees strongly with the general consensus in this case. Not only is THE DROWNING POOL a first-rate mystery thriller, but it is also one of the most sorely underrated films in Newmanu0026#39;s filmography.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film has a completely different look and feel than the previous film, which may have been the reason that so many critics and audiences unfairly rejected it. Gone is the sixties-era go-go mania, which has been replaced with the moody elements of modern film noir which perfectly suits the intricate story of murder and blackmail. The film may not have the starpower of the previous film, but it nonetheless offers solid work from Joanne Woodward, Anthony Franciosa, and a particularly affecting turn from Linda Haynes. Best of all is the then-18 year old Melanie Griffith, who owns her role as the scheming bit of jail bait, unsubtly lusting after Newmanu0026#39;s Harper.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eYet nothing can even come close to upstaging Newman, who is as commanding here as anywhere else in his career. In many ways this is a transitional effort for Newman, paving the way from early brutish roles (1958u0026#39;s THE LONG HOT SUMMER, 1963u0026#39;s HUD) to his latter day, more cerebral heroes (1982u0026#39;s THE VERDICT, 1994u0026#39; NOBODYu0026#39;S FOOL). Also, even at age 50, the man has rarely been sexier. To top things off, we also have one of the greatest, most original escape scenes in movie history – although Iu0026#39;m not giving it away; youu0026#39;ll have to check out this underrated thriller and see for yourself.”