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'Moonrise' noir and the desperate push to outrun the past

Moonrise is an overlooked gem from one of Hollywood's under-the-radar mavericks, and a fine slice of small-town noir.

In film noir you can't outrun your past, try as you desperately might. Take Danny Hawkins, the angry young man played by Dane Clark in Moonrise (new to the Criterion Collection). When Danny was a kid his father was found guilty of murder and hanged by his neck. Danny has a chip on his shoulder, and one night he lashes out. Director Frank Borzage, prolific from the silent era into the '50s, was considered one of Hollywood's great romantics. He was also a subtle experimentalist; the opening shots of Moonrise burst with abstract beauty. This is an overlooked gem from one of Hollywood's under-the-radar mavericks, and a tasty slice of small-town noir.