BlazeLime
Strong and Moving!
Dorathen
Better Late Then Never
Numerootno
A story that's too fascinating to pass by...
Woodyanders
Slimy and ambitious small-time hustler Harry Fabian (splendidly played to the sniveling wormy hilt by Richard Widmark) runs afoul of dangerous British criminals after he devices an ill-advised scheme involving aging famous wrestler Gregorius (a strong and dignified portrayal by real-life former wrestler Stanislaus Zbyszko).Director Jules Dassin keeps the riveting story moving along at a brisk pace, maintains a tough gritty tone throughout, offers a flavorsome and fascinating evocation of a seedy London underworld, and pulls out the stirring stops in the exciting last third. Jo Eisenger's taut and involving script not only presents a colorful array of back-stabbing low-life characters and a spot-on cynical attitude, but also trenchantly explores the meaty themes of greed, betrayal, and loyalty. The excellent acting by the first-rate cast helps a whole lot: Gene Tierney as Fabian's sweet and worried girlfriend Mary Bristol, Googie Withers as the conniving Helen Nosseross, Hugh Marlowe as smitten struggling artist Adam Dunn, Francis L. Sullivan as gross fat club owner Philip, Herbert Lom as suavely sinister kingpin Kristo, and Mike Msazurki as vicious brute the Strangler. The savage and sweaty fight between Zbyszko and Mazurki rates as a definite ferocious highlight. Best of all, Widmark brings a wired energy and jittery intensity to the role of Fabian that's absolutely exhilarating to behold. Mutz Greenbaum's crisp black and white cinematography provides an appropriately shadowy look. Franz Waxman's robust score does the rousing trick. A real on the money movie.
CallEmLike ICem
This movie's an all right way to spend 95 minutes. I didn't find it to be great, or any kind of classic.It's a low-budget, 'b' movie from 1950. It's mostly about a lot of seedy characters in the underbelly of a big city, who mostly seem in a race to see who can stab each other in the back fastest. The lead character, Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark), is particularly unlikable, a hustling, get-rich-quick schemer who, at two low points, robs his own girlfriend's purse to finance his schemes.I did read in the liner notes the director didn't think much of this film, and I agree. It gets a little too obvious, too many times. Like Widmark. We get the idea he's pretty low the first time he tries to steal from his own gal's purse. Bringing that back a second time feels a little heavy-handed.I did feel a little bit sorry for Widmark at the end when he knows he's going to die, but not really a lot. I mostly felt relieved for his girlfriend's sake, who is played by Gene Tierney. I wish there were women nowadays who looked like Gene Tierney does here. There's still plenty of women being made; so maybe it's the period clothes or Hollywood cinematography. Or maybe just the way she carries herself, with a certain amount of class, dignity, and respect.Probably the most believable strain of the story is how she's also getting interest from a decent, and better-looking, guy (Hugh Marlowe), but she sticks with her unlovable rake, Widmark. That's a human trait that's all too recognizable.Widmark winds up strangled to death and having his corpse dumped in the river, so Tierney can shrug off her lovin' the bad boy chapter and run into Marlowe's arms, who's already running towards her waiting.If you think you're getting a 'film noir classic' with this, let me warn ya: except for some of the later ones, 'film noir' was definitely a genre after the fact. Some French film critics noticed a group of post-war Hollywood movies had some dark themes, and lighting and direction to match, and started calling them that. Until then, no one involved knew, at the time, they were making a 'film noir.' They tended to be low-budget crime dramas made, as usual, to try to make money. Apparently, the post-World War II audiences wanted something harsher, so movie makers gave it to 'em. It isn't until you get to the later ones called 'film noir,' like Orson Welles "Touch of Evil," that it really seems a conscious genre choice.
Robert D. Ruplenas
I was looking for something to watch and grabbed this one from my shelves (I had recorded it years ago). I had only vague recollections of it from my previous viewing, but was spellbound this time, and am mystified why my first viewing had left me so noncommittal. This is truly a superb movie and a classic example of noir at its finest. The story line is taught and gripping. The cinematography, especially the lighting design, is the best of what noir has to offer. The script is excellent, with no wasted words and no excesses. Richard Widmark's performance is a reminder of what a truly great actor he was. Francis Sullivan's Nosseros is superb, and Gene Tierney and Hugh Marlowe put in good turns. Not seen too often, and if you get chance to see it, go for it.
bob the moo
When this film started and I saw it was based in London I was a little disappointed because I had looked at the cast list and so on and had assumed it was an American noir – so I wasn't really in the mood to see Britain try to get in on the genre act. Of course anyone who has seen this film will tell you what a foolish statement that is, since this film is fairly brutal and deserves to be held up as a great example of the genre regardless of what city it is set in. The plot revolves around the simple world of wrestling and on the face of it is pretty small beer – Fabian, like most of the characters, has the sort of aspirations of all lower tier hustlers and while ambitious, his goals are not really those to lift him high from his current status. He believes he can make it though and even as he ducks and dives in the sewer, he convinces himself that if he just keeps doing it then things will work for him. Wrestling may be the backdrop but it is this very grimy stage that the film is really set.This links to what the film does best – desperation. The sense of characters going beyond frustration into desperation and despair is really well portrayed here. It is of course most evident in Fabien but few characters are at the top of the tree or even within reach of it and most things are a compromise or deal in one form or another. This plays out really well as a theme but also drives the narrative as things unravel and characters all try clutching at the straws for themselves even though it makes things unravel all the quicker. The story is engaging from the exciting start through to the strong ending (the likes of which I always appreciate in these films).The acting is strong and although there is a lead character it is an ensemble piece. Widmark really convinces – when he is terrified he is great but when he is upbeat and playing his game he still manages to do it with the scene of cheap desperation which is incredibly realistic and engaging. Lom is menacing but humanized and helped by a great turn from Zbyszko. Support from Tierney, Mazurki, Sullivan is all very good and I loved the needy but manipulative turn from Googie Withers as a woman who just about still has it but also knows she won't for long – again her desperation is in a different form from Widmark's but it is just as well done. The delivery of all this is really good. The sets are compact, dirty and dark but also very clear and well lit so we see what we need but are not on a soundstage. Use of locations also helps set the scene and Dassin' direction of the camera is as good as that of his cast.A very strong film indeed and one I really enjoyed for how convincingly gritty and downbeat it was. I could smell the gym throughout and it matched the sense of desperate grabbing and frustration which oozes from every frame. Really worth seeing – not just as a genre film but as an all round great package.
