Review: Play Misty For Me (1971)

Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Written by: Jo Heims and Dan Riesner
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Jessica Walter, Donna Mills and John Larch

Clint Eastwood. What can be said? He epitomizes big screen tough guy. However he's usually the tough guy that has a considerable degree of substance behind his character. Many of the biggest action stars that came after him sorely lack this trait. Putting it more simply, I consider him one of the greatest actors of all time. However, my love for Eastwood in front of the camera is actually secondary to his work behind it. Only now did I finally get to this. Play Misty for Me. It's the first film he ever directed and among the finest thrillers of the 1970s.

Dave Garver is a disc jockey for KRML, a California-based radio station that specializes in sentimental tunes. Dave's unique approach to his broadcast has led to new career opportunities and an intensely dedicated fan base. He has a one-night stand with Evelyn, who later reveals herself as a frequent caller requesting the jazz standard "Misty." While initially the two begin a strictly casual relationship, the matter becomes complicated when Dave rekindles a romance with an ex-girlfriend and Evelyn begins to display psychotic, obsessive behavior.

Two of the most obvious comparisons for Play Misty for Me are Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy and one of my favorite films of all time, Rob Reiner's Misery. All three feature an entertainer's life turned upside down by a crazed fan and play with the theme of mental illness. I prefer to see it as a precursor to Adrian Lyne's 1987 film Fatal Attraction. In my opinion, Play Misty for Me feels like a more subdued version. Although that sounds negative, I'm merely pointing out its fixed place as a thriller that never enters true horror film territory. Some describe it as neo-noir, though frankly I just don't see it.

As much as I love Clint Eastwood (and I could praise his performances all day) the scene-stealer here is undeniably Jessica Walter as Evelyn. I'm really unsure if I should view her as an antagonist, a villain or simply as much a victim of the circumstances as the other leads. Whatever you see her as, it's extremely unsettling to see this actress switch between genteel, annoying and psychotic without warning. You see these events through Dave's eyes, adding an intimacy essential to any stalker story. One problem however comes in the form of backstory. Evelyn is the subject of our curiosity, but the lack of a story prior to the beginning of the film is a little disappointing.

Some might call it dated, and perhaps that criticism is true given it's almost 50 years old and its most thrilling elements have been replicated in similar films since. I loved Play Misty for Me. Allowing Clint Eastwood to make mistakes as a first-time director, he performs well above expectations. This film is truly thrilling and while it's certainly not Hitchcock, it feels a hell of a lot like someone that did their homework on Hitchcock. Before Unforgiven, before Gran Torino, before Mystic River, there was Play Misty for Me!

My Rating: 8.5/10