There's a subtle decency to most of Cotten's work, though it can curdle into cynicism pretty fast, and his characters often get crushed by the looming failure of their dreams.

科顿的大部分作品都有几分高雅的感觉，虽然可能很快转化为愤世嫉俗，而且他的角色经常被梦想的破灭所打垮。