Runtime: 90 minutes
Directed by: Fritz Lang
Starring: Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Lee Marvin, Alexander Scourby, Jocelyn Brando
From: Columbia
I happened to pick a great noir to be my last one for November, 2023. Of course, in hindsight this was one that should have been seen MUCH sooner. After all, it's a gritty genre example from Fritz Lang where Glenn Ford is an honest cop who is on the warpath against corrupt SOB's which only escalates after a tragedy occurs. Heck, it feels like something you'd get right out of a 70's revenge movie, so of course I loved it.
A cop's suicide sparks an investigation. Ford is straightforward Sergeant Dave Bannion who starts asking too many questions; see, that case involves a mob boss who runs the city and unfortunately, part of the department is on his payroll. Bannion has a nice wife and young daughter; like I said, tragedy happens and that's when the movie becomes real dark as Ford starts to exhibit behavior not too different from the louts that the mob boss has as goons... goons like Lee Marvin, who even back then played a heel excellently, and Gloria Grahame as Marvin's moll.
Not surprising that with all the genres Lang could handle quite well, film noir was another where he shined while telling such a dark tale. I haven't watched all his genre examples by any means but this has to be his best—there is great filmmaking craft throughout, for example. Of course, how ruthless the story became is due to the script and the excellent performances from Ford, Marvin and Grahame playing such fascinating characters made for a gripping hour and a half. I dare not spoil the all-timer scene which revealed what a vile character Marvin's Vince Stone was, or the other moments that made me think this was just like a 70's revenge tale and a plot perfect for a neo-noir. It is in fact pretty despicable (at least in this universe) to look the other way and live a comfortable life because you don't want to rock the boat and instead it is key to live it up no matter who else is devastated by that corruption.
Don't be a kitten who lost its mitten like me: if you enjoy the genre yet haven't felt the singe of The Big Heat yet, it's a mistake you should rectify ASAP.
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