‘The Manchurian Candidate’ Meets ‘Double Indemnity’: Reviewing William Conrad’s ‘Brainstorm’

Warner Archive provided me with a free copy of the Blu-Ray I reviewed in this article. The opinions I share are my own.

Any film that drops you into a “what would I do in this situation?” conundrum is a film worth watching and William Conrad‘s Brainstorm (1965) starts off like thunder when Jim (Jeffrey Hunter) discovers a car on the railroad tracks. Of course the train is coming, and there’s a woman (Anne Francis) asleep in the passenger seat. She won’t wake up – not even when Jim breaks a window to get the doors unlocked – and instead of focusing on getting her out, Jim makes the quick decision to get in and drive the vehicle off the tracks himself.

Even Warner Brothers seems to have recognized what a nail biter of an opening screenwriter Mann Rubin devised because they hold off on the opening titles until the Warner Brothers logo suddenly appears out of nowhere. That it’s startling speaks to how quickly this film engrosses viewers in its plot, that it’s easy to forget the credits hadn’t happened yet.

One look at the woman’s driver’s license and Jim realises he knows who she is – or at least who her husband is. They’ve never met but Cort Benson (Dana Andrews) runs the research institute where Jim works. It doesn’t take long for Jim to get Cort’s number, either. Instead of reacting with concern to Jim’s belief that his wife was attempting suicide, Cort sends Jim a check, thinking he can be bought when Jim just sends the check right back to him

Basically, Jim proves his intelligence extends beyond research analysis. He can resist temptation, too… but not so fast, because now it’s time for Mrs. Benson to reenter the scene. It’s not everyday her husband’s “generosity” gets spurned, and she wants to get to know her rescuer as well. Suddenly this guy viewers have been introduced to as a pillar of integrity has a weakness (and some sexism to work out), and the result is a top notch thriller that mixes elements of Double Indemnity with The Manchurian Candidate for a psychological rollercoaster.

Considering the war lines Jim and Cort draw early on in Brainstorm, Cort isn’t in the film enough for that conflict to reach its full potential. Usually I wouldn’t complain about less Andrews in a movie, but I’m curious whether that was a planned decision or rewritten to meet Andrews’ availability. Francis and Viveca Lindfors (who plays a psychiatrist Jim disrespects but she’s too professional to ever be rattled) more than make up for his absence in complex parts that refuse to be defined by men. Jeffrey Hunter is an actor who gets overlooked, perhaps because he died at the age of 42, but always gives good performances (see also Gun for a Coward and Find A Place to Die). His ability to juggle the many conflicting sides to Jim’s character adds to the uncertainty around whether Cort’s smear campaign is working or if Jim’s mental health is actually starting to crack.

Warner Archive’s Blu-ray comes with two animated shorts. “The Hypo-Chondri-Cat” features Claude Cat and while it’s usually mice who viewers are asked to sympathize with in cartoons, Hubie and Bertie are too cruel for that. “Well Worn Daffy” involves Speedy Gonzales, Daffy Duck, and a desert oasis. It’s on theme with Brainstorm’s loose grip on what’s real and what’s not but it’s not the most ethnically sensitive.

Brainstorm is available on Blu-ray now from Warner Archive and to purchase from Movie Zyng.