Despite being directed by Fritz Lang, The Big Heat is a rather undistinguished film noir that I found disappointing considering its reputation and its director. Lang is a master film maker whose film M remains one of the most powerful and disturbing films of the 20th century, but The Big Heat lacks distinction; there's nothing notable about the plot or style of the film. Even the much talked about scene involving Lee Marvin, Gloria Grahanm and a coffee pot is hardly shocking or unforgettable. The acting is fine, but the behavior of the characters is often too recklessly and unbelievably naive, and overall the film has a perfunctory air about it. Gloria Graham is fun and much more Oscar worthy here than in The Bad and the Beautiful, and Jeanette Nolan's performance as Duncan's widow is genuinely chilling. Overall, The Big Heat is rather pedestrian and no threat to Aldrich's noir masterpiece, Kiss Me, Deadly(1955).
Review of The Big Heat
