3/5 I expected more from Arnold and Huston
  by Grant Watson (NC)
THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER.

I don't know if this was once again, a case of too much hype preceeding my viewing of it or what, but I was disappointed.

From a visual and technical stand point the movie is just about flawless, and the Hermann score is wonderful. Huston is great as always. However, it just seemed to plod on. I was very disappointed in the final conflict between Arnold and Huston especially. I thought they were uncharacteristicly NON confrontational considering the roles they were in. I expected much more of a war of words between Arnold and Huston. The casting is spot on, but the execution of the script is a let down. Probably the most symbolic part of the film that speaks to my complaints is the fact that Arnold literally sleeps through almost two thirds of the film.

I mean...heavy weight, no nonsense Edward Arnold vs equally domineering, wiley Walter Huston as Satan, and thats the battle of wits that we get? Ahh well. It had its entertaining moments, but over all, I was disappointed and did not feel that it lived up to its reputation.

I'd have to recommend it for the cinematography, musical score and composition, and perhaps Huston. But be prepared for a seemingly endless 2nd act and a disappointing resolution.


5/5 A "must see" Classic
  by J. Warner (Melvin Village, NH USA)
If you consider yourself a film buff, if you like great movies, you must see "The Devil and Daniel Webster." Stephen Vincent Benet's story is a visual delight - atmosphereic and moody in just the right way. Walter Huston gives a perfectly sparkling performance as the Devil and Edward Arnold turns in a match as Daniel Webster. This movie pulls you in from the first scene!

1/5 1 star for the poor transfer 5 stars for the movie
  by Antoine doinel
The many many vertical white lines and the constant hissing on the soundtrack makes this so not worth the $40 Criterion charges. Same with their transfer of Oliver and Great Expectation.

4/5 40s expressionistic Americana
  by PolarisDiB (Southwest, USA)
This movie is two parts good ol' slice of Americana and one part gripping ghost story, as a man named Jabez (his name is but one of the many comparisons this movie will make to Job) Stone, in a fit of rage, attracts the devil with the curse "I'd sell my soul to the devil for two pennies!" He's lucky enough that the conversation goes further than that and he gets to trade his soul ("merely a small thing") for seven years good luck and a pile of gold up front. Of course these narratives are always very bizarre to me: doesn't the devil appearing in anthropomorphic form basically immediately alert the character, who exists obviously in a Christian world with access to the texts, that the devil's own very existence proves the existence of an anthropomorphic God who will hold true to the promises written in the Bible? But never mind all that. Quickly Mr. Stone meets Mr. Webster, burgeoning politician as he is in 1840, and the movie becomes about pride, greed, and the blindness to American values such as the beauty of the countryside, the kindness of neighbors, and all sorts of speeches about freedom--speeches so powerful, they may just save Jabez from hell.

Now the performances here are great. Walter Huston is more than just a great presence, he burns away the film like the parlor trick when he's introduced. Whether sneaking ideas into the ears of simple-minded men or commanding ghosts to rise from the door, his physical presence and grinning flamboyance makes the whole movie a delight to watch. He doesn't necessarily shadow Edward Arnold as Daniel Webster, however, as Arnold stands sturdy as a good American politician (the inside joke of the film and viewers being that he'll never gain that Presidency if he won't side with Mr. Scratch) who, despite some quirks like the taste for rum, is willing to give everyone their fair share of justice.

Now, of course, the movie itself is a true example of 50s American nationalism. Some of the roles and dialog can be taken as pure bigotry by today's standards, and of course you have the usual in separate beds and almost immaculate conception. But that kind of stuff is more than overshadowed by some real expressionistic handiwork. Demons, hellbound souls, gilded rich people, poor farmers mix together in settings that somehow fit all of them. A spider-woman appears in the form of "Belle", a demonic foil to Jabez's wife Mary, a triangle reminiscent of the beginning of Murnau's "Sunrise". A creepy ball is held, followed by an equally phantasmagoric trail which predates the surreality of "Carnival of Souls". And the movie isn't above including the audience with such considerations of "This could happen to anyone, anywhere" in the opening credits and a wonderful closing shot of Huston pointing at the camera, giving a memorable evil laugh as enticing as any of the better Jokers.

Still, a lot of the patriotic overtones of the movie have definitely not aged well with contemporary values. This movie has every mark and feel of a pre-60s, pre-Watergate, pre-9/11, post-WWII blind optimism which at heart is made of faith and true values but which modern people can't help but ignore such phrases as, "Oh Daniel, that'd be so white of you" and the now rather ridiculous naivety to which the character of Mary is prone. In fact, at the time of the movie's production, pre-bedeviled Jabez is supposed to be a great ol' guy, the kind of character anyone could appreciate and depend on, but now he's something of a jerk that goes even further with his greed and callousness. Can't blame the movie, itself, though. If anything, this movie can also stand as yet another example of the type of faith America has been desperately trying to regain after the past half-century, the type that is aware of the flaws of the 50s but eager to regain that sense of hope. That's what the character of Daniel Webster in this movie stands for, and that hasn't aged at all.

--PolarisDiB

1/5 The Devil and Daniel Webster
  by Raymond F. Bennett
I went through 3 different DVD players that play DVD-2 as well as DVD -1. It would not play. After a couple of visits with computer experts and still being unable to view it I gave up and shredded it. It was a waste of money!