Gene Tierney

Actress Gene Tierney is stunningly beautiful. Her presence is captivating and enigmatic; a suited fit for the ambiguous role of Laura, the woman who captivates the hearts and minds of many men, ranging from intellectual writers to “manly” detectives. She is the object of devotion and suspicion. Like Laura’s writer friend Waldo said, all the men wanted her, and all the women envied her. Evidently, in this noir detective mystery, her role is meant to be ambiguous, and was written and executed appropriately. However, it was hard for me to discern whether Gene Tierney’s ambiguousness was due to her role or a lack of intensity in acting.
Laura’s magnetism is already laid out for you since the beginning of the movie, when the entrance shot begins with her haunting and beautiful portrait. It tells you that it will be her who haunts the minds of all, eternally. She is thought to be dead, revered by all who knew her in life, and now truly unattainable. The detective of the case, entrapped by her memoirs, other people’s reverences for her, and her portrait, is already a victim of her bewitchment. This is also echoed in the way Waldo seems to live for her, the housekeeper idolizes her, and her cousin hates her. They are all victims to her enchantment. So then, is Laura good or evil? That is the question the detective and the audience ask themselves, for it is the purpose of the film.
The mystery that surrounds her memory is magnified when they discover she was not the victim of the murder, for which now, she is the main suspect. What makes her even more suspicious is her ability to ambiguously move from one person to the next, seemingly without intensity or loyalty for any in particular. She always smiles, always is the goodhearted one and all caring-one. She is poised, elegant, and refined, adding to the qualities men and women want to posses from her. These traits could already arouse some suspicious in general, without adding a murder mystery to it. Now I ask myself, are these qualities that Gene Tierney naturally posses’ and therefore simply recites her lines? Or was the lack of intensity all carefully planned and executed by the actress?
I agree with Jean that the deleted scene makes a huge impact on our perception of Laura, for we understand the progression of her assent to power and the huge role Waldo played in that. It makes her more benign and innocent to her circumstances. However, she is still just “letting herself go with the current”, without intensity. And the only moment we see her taking a “strong” stance, was when she stood up to Waldo’s arrogance (in the beginning), which is still with a meek and soft tone. Is she so easily swayed because Laura’s character lacks intensity? Or is Laura so well portrayed because Gene Tierney lacks intensity in acting? I am now intrigued to watch more of her movies in order to compare and contrast. Either way, whether it was a genius planning by the directors, to possibly encompass both these aspects into one role, or a lucky mistake in casting, it was suited for the best, for she nevertheless delivers a magnetizing role and persona.