How others will see it. Too campy to be classed as a melodrama,
Deception is instead a black comedy. Could Henreid really believe
that Davis passed years of her prime womanhood without sleeping with anyone,
especially when the wealthy, famous, talented, and entertaining Rains
demands her attention? Especially when Henreid was considered dead?
When viewed as camp, Deception is quite a delicacy. Henreid is the
alternatively jealous, pouting, and naive fool. Davis is the manipulating
liar, who faces the impossible dual task of living up to her husband's
ideals and protecting him from Rains' random cruelty.
But Rains has the best role of all, as a conceited and impetuous man whose reputation, talent, and fortune ensure that Davis and Henreid, as classical musicians, will continue to be obligated to him for whatever favors he chooses to bestow upon them.
In short, Deception will be cherished by most classic film fans. Warner Bros. was in top form in the 1940s in the years before television siphoned off its audience, and added a measure of desperation to its productions. Although Henreid is stiff, as usual, Davis and (particularly) Rains have delicious roles, and make full use of them.
How I felt about it. Although the characters are much different, the three leads are the same as in Now, Voyager (1942) which was also directed by Irving Rapper. Deception is certainly more campy than Now, Voyager since Rains is given full rein to steal scenes, and Davis' character is dreadful aside from her devotion to her moody and unenlightened husband.
It would be interesting if Deception was reconstructed so that the story would be told from Rains' perspective rather than that of Davis. Would more Rains and less Davis improve the movie? Probably not, since the dramatic impact of Rains' entrances and pronouncements would be diluted if he was in the majority of scenes. And the task for Davis, keeping her husband and making him a success, is more difficult than the plan for Rains, who can be rid of the awkwardly noble Henreid simply by telling him the truth.