SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

AaronCapenBanner Nicholas Ray directed this innovative film noir that stars Farley Granger as Bowie, a young man recently escaped from prison with two older convicts(played by Jay C. Flippen & Howard Da Silva) All Bowie wants is to live with his love Keechie(played by Cathy O'Donnell) but his two cohorts won't let him, forcing him on a multi-state crime spree that mistakenly leads the police to identify Bowie as the ringleader! Bowie becomes increasingly alarmed, and is determined to break away from his criminal "friends", but first must figure out how to do so, and not get captured or killed. Good cast and effective direction(an opening helicopter tracking shot in particular) make this film work well, even if it ends as you would expect it too.

RResende There seems to be a unique thing about Ray's career, in its time and context. He was an interesting director who worked inside the Hollywood system, and indeed obeyed to their rules, give or take, and was able to produce some films that people still remember today, so called classics. Yet something in each one of his films, even the more studio tailored ones, seem to constantly pull the films away from the norm. The man had a visual imagination, and an experimental attitude. Much has been said about how he handled colour, but i think it's in these black and white first phase films that Ray shines brighter. That's because black and white film technology was already advanced enough to allow him to do things such as shooting on real locations, while coloured films made his camera work and groundbreaking visual presentations more stiff, less fluid. This film has very interesting bits. The aerial shots of cars along the road, loose and free. The disembodied camera that appears on some cleverly conceived crane shots, and the general cinematography whenever we are clearly outside the studio. That's where Ray's mind was, clearly. Whenever we are on sets, well, plain old classical illumination, which doesn't even borrow from Toland/Welles, who had by than created a whole new set of light codes. But in the outside shots, he does things that hadn't been done, some of which do work even today, in terms of our modern ability to understand framing.So the road trip genre suits perfectly Ray's intentions. The mere physical description of the sequences made his mind figure what he might get out of it. This isn't visually as ground breaking as On a dangerous ground, or even Knock on any door, but the guy was just starting. Other than that, this is melodrama. Characters caught by hard backgrounds, forced to struggle, unable to fight whatever burdens society and their shortcomings as people placed upon them. It's a very dear theme of Nicholas Ray, the misfits, the outcast, ennobled by how they assume their faults and try to get out of that world, but ultimately pushed down by the weight of their mistakes, and the cruelty of people around them. How Ray formulates this makes it a very American theme in its core, and very unique in its approach. I think no one has ever formulated this bonnie/clyde runaway type like this ever again, less adventurous, but deeper. No wonder Wenders, in his fascination with America, came to admire Ray so much.Cathy O'Donnell has a great face, her character's looks evolution is well thought, she shines when her face is allowed to act, which Ray does a lot.My opinion: 3/5 this is a worthy effort, which you should watch only if you're interested in Ray's best works. This will give you insight.

Spikeopath They Live By Night (AKA: The Twisted Road) is directed by Nicholas Ray and written by Ray and Charles Schnee who adapt from Edward Anderson's novel Thieves Like Us. It stars Cathy O'Donnell, Farley Granger, Howard Da Silva & Jay C. Flippen. Produced by John Houseman out of RKO, it's photographed by George E. Diskant and music is by Leigh Harline.Ray's debut feature (it was actually wrapped in 1947) is a potent piece of film noir set during the Great Depression. Story follows Bowie (Granger), a naive young man who escapes from prison with two hardened criminals, Chicamaw (Da Silva) & T-Dub (Flippen), and finds unexpected love in the form of the almost saintly Keechie (O'Donnell). However, he finds that no matter what his good intentions are, crime just wont leave him be and with Keechie in tow, goes on the run to hopefully find a better life.It's a pretty simple story all told, one that has been well represented in film over the years with the likes of You Only Live Once, High Sierra & Gun Crazy. But as simple as the tale is, Ray's film is very much a leading light in the sub-genre of "lovers on the lam" movies. First thing of note is that there's a movement away from the normal characters that had frequented the noir driven crime world up till now. The protagonists here are not gangsters or private investigators, they are thieves, and country folk too. This offers up a different viewing character wise. Admittedly the protagonists are shrouded in classic film noir hopelessness, where the air of desperation hangs heavy throughout, but the characterisation shift gives the simple story a lift.From the outset it's evident that this is an intriguing, even curious, picture. A shot of our loving couple sharing a kiss is accompanied with a title card telling us that they were never properly introduced to the world we live in. A blast of Harline's music startles them and we then cut to an aerial shot (Ray leading the way for helicopter shots) of the three escapee's in the getaway car. In those 30 seconds Ray has managed to convey that his film will be an energetic, yet doom laden, love story. Quite a feat for a fledgling director to be unique right from the off. It's interesting to note that Ray himself said that he wasn't trying to make a film noir movie, he was merely telling a tragic love story. Just another point of reference as to why the film is so fascinating.Be that as it may, They Live By Night pulses with noir blood. From its perpetual moody atmospherics, to the romantic narrative being punctured by moments of violence, it deserves its classic film noir status. 8/10

wes-connors After serving seven years in prison, for a crime he (arguably) didn't commit, handsome Farley Granger (as Arthur "Bowie" Bowers) escapes from prison. The 23-year old Mr. Granger is accompanied by visually-impaired Howard Da Silva (as Chicamaw "One-Eye" Mobley) and seasoned leader Jay C. Flippen (Henry "T-Dub" Mansfield). The gang of three decide to hide out with Mr. Da Silva's brother, gas station attendant Will Wright, while planning a bank heist. Granger is reluctant to participate, but thinks one last job will enable him to hire a lawyer, and clear his murder rap. Da Silva's niece, unassuming Cathy O'Donnell (as Catherine "Keechie" Mobley), and Granger fall in love."They Live by Night" opens with a shot of Granger smooching Ms. O'Donnell, while the slick proclamation - "This boy… and this girl… were never properly introduced to the world we live in… To tell their story…" - is slowly superimposed on the screen. Later, we learn the pair never even knew how to kiss… well, he was in prison… for a long time… BUT, the film is better than the dumb romance you're expecting. Quietly wide-eyed Granger and plainly beautiful O'Donnell make it connect, with others in the cast adding realistic characterizations. First-time director Nicholas Ray gives his young couple a delicate, aching innocent intimacy which transcends the ordinary storyline.******** They Live by Night (8/48) Nicholas Ray ~ Farley Granger, Cathy O'Donnell, Howard Da Silva, Jay C. Flippen