The Postman Always Ring Twice (1946)
[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038854/]
The Gist:
A film noir that had trouble getting off the ground because of the Code in Hollywood. In fact, the James M. Cain novel was penned on the same year of the Production Code was officially enforced, and its issues with adultery, violence, and lurid sexuality kept the film from seeing the light of day for a solid twelve years after the novel's success. Oddly enough, however, I didn't find the film to be any more bold than other film noir entries that had less issue entering the foray of production. I suppose it all stems from some puritanical view on the sanctity of marriage and the evils of adultery, thus justifying the 30s gangster-esque morality ending. Anyway, my personal opinion is that whatever concessions the filmmakers made to get Postman going, ie painting its characters in a morally black light, sacrificed the nuance necessary to make the concept really work.
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