Macao

This 1952 film carries Josef von Sternberg's name, but its production was tangled; the studio later had substantial portions reshot by another director, and the result bears the marks of two approaches. Nick Cochran, forced to flee the United States, arrives in Macao and gets the chance to clear his name by helping capture a wanted crime boss. His relationship with Julie, a singer who arrives on the same ship, complicates matters. The narrative follows the genre's usual shape, and the film's real strength is atmosphere: the harbour, fog, nightclubs and a threat that is felt continuously. The ease between Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell papers over the gaps in the script. Who it's for: viewers who like fifties Hollywood thrillers in exotic settings, and Mitchum. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a tight script, or a critical approach to how the period represented Asia.