VividSimon Simply Perfect

ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Verity Robins Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

christopher-underwood Once or twice this almost slips into melodrama but a strong cast with a strong script and magical direction and cinematography keep this moving wonderfully. Described in my Blu-ray booklet as a, 'sun-kissed noir' and it is hard to argue with as the bright and sunny cinemascope visuals collide with the devilish doings of the three bad dudes in town. Filmed in copper mining town of Bisbee, Arizona, the industry is woven seamlessly into the story as the various inhabitants criss cross each others lives and we learn remarkably much as they interact with each other. There is a marvellous scene in a drug store which sells everything (I even noticed a rack of pulp paperbacks) where we follow one character in, another is already in there and there is a brief exchange as unnoticed one of the bank robbers enters to make a crucial phone call. There are also great shots as the train crosses the desert, skies as good as any of Ford's. I'm not especially a fan of Victor Mature but he does well here mixing home life, work life and heroism. Not by any means action and hip talk all the way but convincingly and entertainingly structured to great effect. Oh and just watch out for Ernest Borgnine as an Amish farmer.

rodrig58 I noticed the name of Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine in the cast and I said to myself that I'll see a good thriller with a bank robbery. I was wrong. The film is a great drama, actually there are three different stories that intertwine. One is that of those who rob the bank. Then the story of the family of Shelley Martin(Victor Mature), who manages to kill 3 of those 4 gangsters. Then the story of the family of Fairchild Boyd(Richard Egan), whose wife is murdered during the robbery. Intelligent script, well played. Victor Mature in certain frames seems a clone of Sylvester Stallone. Marvin and Borgnine have smaller roles, the film is made in 1955, they are not yet the stars of the 60s, 70s or 80s. By the way, Borgnine, an Amish who hates violence, kills the gangster of all gangsters, Mister Lee Marvin, with a hayfork. Enjoy!

sol- Three criminals plan how they intend to rob a small town bank while the unsuspecting local citizens deal with their own personal problems, all of which results in a violent weekend full of men trying to prove their worth in this slow burn thriller starring Victor Mature. Shot in CinemaScope with glorious, rich colours, 'Violent Saturday' is an incredibly good-looking film and the vivid nature of the images suits the gradual build-up of tension very well; grumpy men step on kids' hands, solemn women offer piercing glares, etc. When push comes to shove though, the build-up occurs for far too long. It is over an hour in before the heist actually takes place and while a subsequent barnyard show down rates among the most intense sequences that director Richard Fleischer ever filmed, one has endure over an hour of (at times) histrionic melodrama before any such tension finally erupts. And yet, while it may have been a more effective film at half its length, the overall impact of the movie is hard to shake. The supporting characters vary in how engaging they are, but Mature is excellent throughout as the emotionally torn protagonist, resentful of the fact that he is not the war hero that his impressionable preteen son wants him to be. The film also benefits from one of Hugo Friedhofer's most powerful scores and seeing Ernest Borgnine as an Amish farmer has definite curiosity value alone.

MartinHafer "Violent Saturday" is an excellent crime film--which is surprising since it's made in Technicolor and Cinemascope. A traditional example of film noir is in black and white and features unusual lighting and camera angles that you won't see in this film. But that is okay...as it works anyway even though it's an odd mix of a soap opera and violent heist picture.The first half of the film all occurs before the actual robbery. Thugs case the small town bank and plan their robbery. Additionally, you see a lot about various folks in the town--folks that will become important in the robbery and tense finale. These stories are generally interesting but a bit salacious--such as the drunk who's married to a woman that subsequently seeks comfort from other men! There's also the guy whose son is disappointed in him since he didn't serve abroad during WWII...and you know this guy (Victor Mature) will get a chance to prove himself later. And then there's the Amish family (led by Ernest Borgnine)...one which might have to alter their non-violent beliefs if they want to survive.The film has a lot of pluses. It's violent for the 1950s but not gratuitously so (even though critics hated this about the movie) and the thugs are an interesting lot (including such great heavies as Steven McNally and Lee Marvin). The ending is also top-notch and exciting. All in all, a riveting and exciting film with a lot to offer.