I will simply concur with most everyone else who has praised this excellent film and add only that it certainly wasn't underrated when it came out: critics were unanimous in their praise and the film was even selected as the British entry in the 1947 Cannes Film Festival.
The only pity is that the only thing that seems to be available on DVD or video are horrible copies that do not do the film's visuals justice. It can only be hoped that this is corrected one day soon.
I must correct one of the writers who credits the film's fine cinematography to Freddie Francis. The cinematographer on the film was in fact Wilkie Cooper, who did so much brilliant work throughout his career. Mr Francis did work on the film, as Cooper's camera operator. But the lighting, composition and creating of visuals was the work of Cooper and that fine art director William Andrews.
See the film. You won't regret it.
The only pity is that the only thing that seems to be available on DVD or video are horrible copies that do not do the film's visuals justice. It can only be hoped that this is corrected one day soon.
I must correct one of the writers who credits the film's fine cinematography to Freddie Francis. The cinematographer on the film was in fact Wilkie Cooper, who did so much brilliant work throughout his career. Mr Francis did work on the film, as Cooper's camera operator. But the lighting, composition and creating of visuals was the work of Cooper and that fine art director William Andrews.
See the film. You won't regret it.