"High Tension" is a film directed by Allan Dwan and apparently some folks think it's a far better film than I do...hence it's unusual inclusion on the Criterion Channel's lineup this month. I really was expecting far better than I saw...and I think the problem is with the writing...not the direction nor acting.
The film is a B-movie...meant to be the second or lesser film during a double-feature. You can tell this because the running time is only about an hour, though the film looks better and is more slickly made than most Bs. But, like most Bs, it appears to have been rushed into production when what it really needed was a re-write to take care of all the logical problems with the script.
Steve (Brian Donlevy) is a man with a VERY specialized skill...he is a deep water diver who can repair submerged cable lines. So, if telephones or telegraph lines break, he's one of the few folks experienced enough to fix them. The problem is that Steve is acutely aware of this and is a complete ego maniac! He thinks he is the best and as such he treats many around him like dirt...particularly his low self-esteem longtime girlfriend, Edith (Glenda Farrell). She puts up with his neglect and abuse...even when he disappears for months on end and he expects her to drop everything when he gets around to seeing her! To put it bluntly, he's an awful person and deserves to be alone. This is why the movie just doesn't work. Again and again, Steve acts like a jerk...and the film seems to think this is okay and it STILL gives him a happy ending. As a result, I am sure many in the audience watching the film felt dissatisfied. He is NOT a jerk with a nice guy hidden down deep...he's just a jerk. So no matter how hard the actors and directors worked on the film, it couldn't work because of this ridiculous script. He should have had this persona softened and given him SOME reason for redemption.
