The Leopard Man (1943)

Very nice low-budget chiller from Val Lewton, 29 October 2005

Kiki and Clo-Clo (I just love these names.) are rivals in a nightclub act. To upstage Clo-Clo, Kiki's boyfriend arranges for her to enter the club with a black leopard on a leash while Clo-Clo is performing. But things don't go as planned and the leopard escapes. Later that night, a young woman is killed outside her home by a leopard. More deaths of women are blamed on the leopard. But is it really the leopard that's responsible for the deaths or is a maniac using the leopard as a cover to commit murder?

The Leopard Man has an unusual story structure that I find very appealing. Most of the events in the movie and most of the people (or victims) we meet occur through the movements of Clo-Clo. As she walks through the streets, she runs into or passes seemingly random persons. We are immediately taken into their world for a brief glimpse of their lives before the inevitable occurs. It's the realization that these people are unknowingly in danger because of a chance meeting with Clo-Clo and they can do nothing about it that creates much of the suspense in The Leopard Man.

The Leopard Man features some of the best set-pieces and scenes Val Lewton ever put together. The death of the first girl, Teresa, is the most obvious example. To get home, Teresa must go through a tunnel knowing full well that a leopard has escaped and may be inside ready to pounce. This scene is nothing short of scary. It's one of the most frightening moments from a Lewton movie. Teresa finally reaches home but is unable to get inside the house. Before her mother and brother can get the door open, Teresa is attacked. The camera pans to the floor to show the blood running into the house. It's a very chilling moment and one of the best that Lewton ever made.

Most of Lewton's films have a "look" to them that I find very pleasing. In this department, The Leopard Man doesn't disappoint. Everything from the "noirish" look of the city streets to the use of shadows to create atmosphere gives these movies part of their distinctiveness. Lewton couldn't afford fancy special effects or high-priced actors, so he made up for this by creating some of the most visually stunning movies I've seen. In short, The Leopard Man is a real treat to the eye.

8/10