The Letter
Director: William Wyler
Year Released: 1940
Rating: 3.0
It's a testament to both Wyler and Bette Davis that they could make this story as entertaining and watch-able as it is - Davis kills a man in cold-blood, shooting him six times (and no doubt more had the gun been capable of holding more bullets) and, to protect her, a lawyer friend and her husband engage in ethically questionable actions (most importantly, they buy a letter that incriminates her). Wyler's direction is excellent and the picture moves along briskly; it never ascends to the level of a glorious achievement for either, but one can certainly understand why it garnered all those Academy Award nominations.
