Detour

In the dark and moody film "Detour," Al Roberts, played by Tom Neal, is a failed musician and pianist struggling to make a name for himself in the competitive world of 1940s nightlife. He works as a pianist in a seedy New York nightclub, playing the same tired tunes night after night, with little hope of advancement. Despite his best efforts, Al's music career seems doomed to fail, and he's forced to scrape by on a meager income. One day, Al decides to take a chance on his life and embark on a journey to Los Angeles to be with his girlfriend Sue, who he's been pining for. Sue is a singer, and Al believes that with her help, he can finally break into the music business and make it big. But first, he needs to get to her. Disillusioned with public transportation, Al decides to hitchhike across the country, trusting in the kindness of strangers to get him to his destination. As he sets off on the open road, the vast expanse of America stretches out before him, symbolizing both hope and uncertainty. Al's hitchhiking adventure is marked by a series of ominous events, from run-ins with suspicious characters to breakdowns and missed connections. The first ride he gets is with a shady character named Joe, who's not what he seems. Joe picks up Al in his rundown car and promises to get him across the country, but his true intentions are unclear. As they drive through the night, Al becomes increasingly uneasy, sensing that something is off. As they near a critical juncture on the road, a severe snowstorm hits, causing the car to skid out of control. Al witnesses a near-fatal accident, and when they come to a stop, Joe disappears, leaving Al stranded in the middle of nowhere. Al frantically searches for help, but the snowstorm has cut off all roads, and he's trapped. In a twist of fate, Al is picked up by a wealthy but eccentric couple, Vera (Ann Savage) and Steve (Elisha Cook Jr.), who offer him a ride to a nearby gas station. Vera is a mysterious and seductive woman, fascinated by the underbelly of life and drawn to Al's desperation. She's got a sharp-tongued wit and a wicked sense of humor, but beneath her carefree facade lies a dark and troubled past. As Al becomes embroiled in Vera's world, the boundaries between reality and fantasy begin to blur. Vera has a fascination with the darker side of human nature, and her influence pulls Al further into her orbit. She takes him to a dingy motel room, where they engage in a series of tense and flirtatious exchanges. The chemistry between Al and Vera is palpable, and for a moment, Al's desperation seems to lift. But Vera's intentions are far from altruistic. She's got a hidden agenda for Al, one that involves exploiting his naivety and desperation for her own twisted purposes. As the miles fly by, Al finds himself trapped in a cycle of dependency and despair, unable to extract himself from Vera's clutches. In the film's climax, Al is forced to make a heart-wrenching decision: either surrender to Vera's manipulation or risk everything to escape. The conclusion is bleak, as Al's dreams of stardom and a life with Sue are irreparably crushed. The final shot, of a desolate and forsaken Al, is a potent symbol of the devastating consequences of his hubris and lack of judgment. "Detour" is a haunting and atmospheric tale of disillusionment and despair, set against the vast and unforgiving backdrop of the American road trip. Director Edgar G. Ulmer's masterful use of shadows and lighting creates a sense of foreboding and unease, amplifying the sense of tension and dread that permeates the film. Tom Neal's performance as Al Roberts is a tour-de-force, imbuing the character with a vulnerable and tragic quality that makes his downfall all the more poignant. Shot on a shoestring budget, "Detour" is a small but magnificent masterpiece of film noir, with a haunting and unforgettable atmosphere that continues to captivate audiences to this day. This dark, subversive, and ultimately devastating tale of the broken American Dream remains a must-see classic of cinematic noir, an unflinching and uncompromising exploration of the darker aspects of human nature.