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6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Dante's Inferno remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for pre-code melodrama that forgot to be subtle, Dante's Inferno is worth your time. It’s a strange beast—part cautionary tale, part carnival documentary. If you hate movies where the main character is just a total jerk who refuses to learn his lesson until the walls literally collapse, you might want to skip this one.
Spencer Tracy plays Jim Carter, a guy who makes being a con artist look like a career choice with a 401k. He sees an old carnival display of Dante’s visions and decides, 'Hey, people love being scared.' He’s right, of course. Watching him build this empire is like watching someone try to assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions, but with more shouting.
The whole middle section is dominated by the construction of this amusement pier. It’s remarkably unsafe. Like, cartoonishly unsafe. You can practically hear the wood groaning in the background of every shot. When it finally gives way, the movie pivots into this weirdly dark courtroom drama that feels like it belongs in a totally different film.
There’s a small, blink-and-you-miss-it appearance by a young Rita Hayworth. It’s funny seeing her in these early roles before the big studio machine turned her into a legend. She’s just… there, dancing around while the plot burns down.
Sometimes the film feels like it’s trying to be a sermon. It wants you to feel bad for everyone involved, but I mostly just felt bad for the extras who had to keep walking past the same fake flames. It lacks the polish of later dramas, which is actually why I liked it. It feels raw and slightly rushed.
If you've seen something like Parachute Jumper, you know that era of filmmaking loved a fast-talking hustler. But here, the stakes feel a bit more grounded in a weird, dusty reality. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s definitely not boring. 🎡
