Grim and harsh, the story evolves into something of a morality tale, as a noir anti-hero named Stan (Tyrone Power), employed in a carnival, uses tricks of the carnival trade to manipulate his way to fame and fortune, with the help of a mind reader named Zeena (Joan Blondell). But people and events conspire against Stan, and turn his world into a nightmare. It’s a strange, elusive story involving tarot cards, religious beliefs, and mysticism.
Although carnival life is portrayed as rather seedy, carny people have a sense of morality; a protective attitude toward their own. However, when Stan moves out of this closed environment and into the larger world, he encounters deception and conning that is far more dangerous than the nickel and dime deception he has been so accustomed to. This is one dark, unforgiving story. The ending has a horror-like motif.
I have two problems with this film. First, the story takes forever to get going. The script’s inciting incident doesn’t occur until some 29 minutes into the film. Up to that point, the script is mostly exposition, back-story, and filler.
Second, and more serious, the story expects viewers to buy into the legitimacy of mysticism and occultism, without which, various plot points don’t make sense. How else does one explain Stan’s ability to know things that he could not possibly have learned through conventional tricks?
I have no problem with the film’s casting. And the acting is above average. I thought all four leading actors gave credible performances, especially Joan Blondell. The B&W lighting is quite good with hard shadows, which accentuates the story’s grimness.
“Nightmare Alley” gives us a character study of desperate people who use a variety of tricks and cons to get what they want in a hostile, unforgiving world. We as viewers get a sense of perspective, as character desperation takes the form of traveling gypsies, immoral tramps, and outright thieves.
