one of my absolute favorites!

Excellent, smart action film.

Excellent, a Must See

A Masterpiece!

There's terrific pretty much everything in this exotic film noir where Robert Mitchum does detective work, Jane Russell does vocal work, and William Bendix does wisecrack work. Unfortunately, you get to know as much about quiet Mitchum that you do about the fiery Jane and the bombastic Bill. This is mostly set on a cruiser from Hong Kong to Macao where Mitchum tries to break up a crime ring and finds all sorts of trouble along the way. Exotic settings and non stop action don't really create a fleshed out plot, and for the three stars (and a decent supporting cast), it's a disappointing entry in the career of the legendary Josef Von Sternberg. There are many great moments, but moments do not add up to a great film no matter how exciting they are. Highlights include Russell singing several songs (most notably "One For My Baby") and Mitchum playing cat and mouse with the bad guys. Gloria Grahame has a truly pointless supporting role, coming in a very busy year for her, but she's not even substantial to the story even with prominent billing. The performances are all decent, but there's little history or motivation given to their characters which is the real reason I consider this one a let down. Considering the time that this was made at RKO, it's obvious that scripts were being rushed out with little regards to detail, and this suffers from being a complete missed opportunity.

This is one confusing dull piece of Noir. It's a shame too because it's got Mitchum, Russell, and Bendix, all 3 have had much better moments in a Noir atmosphere. The best part about this? It's short. There is no action, very little gun play, a couple of knife's thrown in the back scenes that instantly kill but barely get stuck in, no blood, no Chinese torture, nothing! I've come to the conclusion that most American classic movies (before 1960) made in the "Orient" suck. The only ones that come to my mind as good are "Mask Of Fu Manchu", "Soldier Of Fortune", "Lost Horizon", and "The Good Earth". I'm sure there are others but mainly if it says it's an Oriental location it's there because the stories very weak and they need an exotic location to take your mind off of the story. I barely remember a scene with Mitchum and Russel getting it on so the steamy angle is a bust, and the story itself is ludicrous. Watch it because your curious as it has Russell and Mitchum, but you will not be impressed at all, bottom line. 5 of 10 and that's being very generous. I will say though in it's defense, that I will use the line on my wife someday that "Diamonds cheapen you".

It seems odd for a film noir to be set on a small peninsula off the coast of China, but 'Macao (1952)' nonetheless fits the bill, in a similar vein to Howard Hawks' 'To Have and Have Not (1944).' Robert Mitchum wanders in off a ferry, looking as weary as always, and is immediately suspected by the city's resident American crime boss (Brad Dexter) to be a dangerous detective from the States. Cochran, actually a vagrant fugitive traversing the globe, accepts these accusations without batting an eyelid, thus joining the ranks of film noir "innocents" who find themselves unwittingly entangled in a messy affair in which they have no rightful business. Meanwhile, Jane Russell, with a spiteful glare that suggests utter contempt for anything that moves, works hard to avoid falling for Cochran; but on whom the sultry singer will ultimately bestow her affection is never in doubt. This film was made purely to bring together its two big stars again, but fortunately it also works as a exotic adventure thriller.According to the opening credits, 'Macao' was directed by Josef von Sternberg. In actuality, producer Howard Hughes dismissed Sternberg before production wrapped up, and so the film was completed by an uncredited Nicholas Ray. Audiences have always loved to see their favourite stars dispatched to exotic locations – however short distance they were required to travel from the studio back-lot – and the obscure Asian peninsula of Macao adds a spark of Oriental charm to an already-outlandish locale. This is a city where dangerous criminals take sanctuary and open seedy gambling joints, where mysterious Asian henchmen kill their victims with knives rather than guns. Normal societal formalities hold no sway here: Mitchum gets a luscious kiss out of his leading lady within a minute of their meeting, and, incidentally, she gets his wallet. That the screenplay is completely predictable becomes irrelevant next to the strong characterisations and seedy, mysterious atmosphere. This being my first Sternberg film, I'm unsure of his particular directing style, but the dark foot-chases along the sleazy Macao docks struck me as being characteristic of Nicholas Ray's work.Though Mitchum and Russell carry the film pretty well – and, indeed, are the only reason for the film's existence – an unfortunately-underused supporting cast also does a good job. William Bendix, playing a likable character for once, is a friendly travelling salesman to whom there may be more than meets the eye. Brad Dexter is serviceable as the primary villain, but he's not particularly sinister or intimidating, and his spur-of-the-moment decision to leave the Three-Mile Limit, especially after learning of a plot to capture him, seems utterly contrived. Gloria Grahame (Ray's then-wife, though not for much longer) has a disappointingly-brief role as the villain's shunted lover; early in the film, she and Russell exchange glares than communicate pure mutual contempt. Overall, despite an all-too-familiar storyline, the Oriental-flavoured setting and enjoyable performances make for a film with a fair amount of suspense and intrigue, with just enough laconic humour to keep the story moving along nicely {Mitchum himself reportedly wrote a few scenes to bridge the otherwise-muddled screenplay}. If this one ever comes up on the TV schedule, it's worth a gander.

Macao is a great city. I think that the best way to know more about Macao is to see http://www.macacoenter.com. you can find great Macao travel stuff.Many of the area's historic attractions are concentrated towards the centre of the peninsula, but the city's unique cultural atmosphere exists throughout. This atmosphere has been created by the area's special ability to blend the European and Oriental cultures of its citizens. The Ruins of St Paul's is the symbol of Macau, and Monte Fort overlooks most of Macau from its high vantage point and central position. The three ancient temples in Macau are the A-ma Temple with a history of over 500 years, the most famous and impressive Kun Iam Temple, and one of the finest temples in Macau - Lin Fung Temple. The financial success of the region is due largely to the influx of tourists who come here to visit and to play in Macau's most famous sites - the Casinos.