This is one of the most emotionally affecting film noirs I've seen. Bravo to Jules Dassin for another great movie.
It starts out as fairly standard Hollywood fare, but by the end, Dassin and screenwriter Bezzerides have thrown in a lot more explicit (and unpredictable) violence, and explicit sexuality, than is found in most movies of this era.
The penultimate scene is particularly shocking and "modern". At one point, Dassin actually transforms tough guy Lee J. Cobb into a feminine character visually, with a kerchief (or napkin) around his neck and his hands in a classic gesture of female helplessness as he is (finally) emasculated by Richard Conte. At the same time, Conte's level of out-of-control violence is notable, even for a noir, because his character has been so sympathetic up until then. While "moral ambiguity" is one of the textbook characteristics of film noir, this is one of the few examples I've seen where we truly don't know what to make of the character; rather than the standard anti-heroes (e.g. Double Indemnity) and hapless lovers (e.g. Out of the Past, Criss Cross) of noir, Conte portrays a man who has been genuinely wronged, and who deserves our sympathy, until he snaps at the end and appears ready and able to commit murder.
Of course, the final climax was watered down for mainstream consumption, but nevertheless, this is one of the most powerful and emotionally honest film noirs I've seen, and should be on the short list of movies to see for any fan.
It starts out as fairly standard Hollywood fare, but by the end, Dassin and screenwriter Bezzerides have thrown in a lot more explicit (and unpredictable) violence, and explicit sexuality, than is found in most movies of this era.
The penultimate scene is particularly shocking and "modern". At one point, Dassin actually transforms tough guy Lee J. Cobb into a feminine character visually, with a kerchief (or napkin) around his neck and his hands in a classic gesture of female helplessness as he is (finally) emasculated by Richard Conte. At the same time, Conte's level of out-of-control violence is notable, even for a noir, because his character has been so sympathetic up until then. While "moral ambiguity" is one of the textbook characteristics of film noir, this is one of the few examples I've seen where we truly don't know what to make of the character; rather than the standard anti-heroes (e.g. Double Indemnity) and hapless lovers (e.g. Out of the Past, Criss Cross) of noir, Conte portrays a man who has been genuinely wronged, and who deserves our sympathy, until he snaps at the end and appears ready and able to commit murder.
Of course, the final climax was watered down for mainstream consumption, but nevertheless, this is one of the most powerful and emotionally honest film noirs I've seen, and should be on the short list of movies to see for any fan.