Paul Newman reprised his role from Harper (1966),
and it's very apparent that he liked this character. The Drowning Pool
is a whodunit shrouded in family mystery, like a more straightforward
sibling of Chinatown.
Although it may never be quite as clever as the filmmakers let on,
Newman's everyday persona gives the film a sympathetic, attractive quality.
And the enticing
Louisiana milieu feels dangerous and welcoming at the same time. The
three credited screenwriters – Tracy Keenan Wynn, Walter Hill, and
Lorenzo Semple Jr. – most likely pulled the story in
different directions, so director Stuart Rosenberg deserves praise for
guiding it all to a cohesive and rather enjoyable whole. The evocative
musical score is by Michael Small (Klute,
The
Parallax View). There are fine, but arguably underutilised
supporting roles by Andrew Robinson as the hunted Pat Reavis, and
a young Melanie Griffith as a kittenesque seductress.