When I first learned of "The Bribe," I was very impressed with the cast. What could go wrong with a film featuring the talents of such actors as Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Charles Laughton, and Vincent Price? Lots.
The film starts out with a flawed premise. A federal agent named Rigby (Taylor) is sent by his superior (Hoyt) to an island off the coast of Central America where war surplus aircraft engines are being illegally acquired, refurbished, and sold on the black market. The problem with this concept arises when it is stated that the engines were acquired as scrap. If I understood this part correctly, then why would the government care? There is absolutely no hint that they are being provided to a hostile foreign power so would it be proper to endanger the life of an agent for such a mission?
Okay, most viewers would be willing to overlook such triflings. However, the film has much more tangible problems. First, approximately the first half of it is told in flashback with near-constant narrative by Robert Taylor. Rather than let the man act, the screenwriter and director had him verbalize his every thought. The result is very chatty and abrasive.
Finally, the film commits the worst crime any motion picture can commit. It is intensely boring. There is little action and the entire film is driven by endless dialogue. Although I must admit that the climax is good, the viewer must wade through the entire film to reach this point. For me, the payoff wasn't worth it.
It really pains me to provide a negative review for a film that employs some of my favorite actors. However, I believe that most viewers would want to dodge this one and check out the filmographies of the various performers for much better material. Die hard fans of film noir or of individual cast members may nevertheless want to see this, but if you're one of these, don't claim you haven't been warned.
The film starts out with a flawed premise. A federal agent named Rigby (Taylor) is sent by his superior (Hoyt) to an island off the coast of Central America where war surplus aircraft engines are being illegally acquired, refurbished, and sold on the black market. The problem with this concept arises when it is stated that the engines were acquired as scrap. If I understood this part correctly, then why would the government care? There is absolutely no hint that they are being provided to a hostile foreign power so would it be proper to endanger the life of an agent for such a mission?
Okay, most viewers would be willing to overlook such triflings. However, the film has much more tangible problems. First, approximately the first half of it is told in flashback with near-constant narrative by Robert Taylor. Rather than let the man act, the screenwriter and director had him verbalize his every thought. The result is very chatty and abrasive.
Finally, the film commits the worst crime any motion picture can commit. It is intensely boring. There is little action and the entire film is driven by endless dialogue. Although I must admit that the climax is good, the viewer must wade through the entire film to reach this point. For me, the payoff wasn't worth it.
It really pains me to provide a negative review for a film that employs some of my favorite actors. However, I believe that most viewers would want to dodge this one and check out the filmographies of the various performers for much better material. Die hard fans of film noir or of individual cast members may nevertheless want to see this, but if you're one of these, don't claim you haven't been warned.