I really hated the Martin Scorsese remake of this film, so much that I never had much interest in seeing the original. But I finally decided to give it a try, and hot damn what a good thriller it turned out to be.
Robert Mitchum is absolutely terrifying in this film, much more so than Robert De Niro, who gave an undisciplined and campy performance. Mitchum is understated, ominous, and sexy in pretty equal parts, and watching him makes one recognize what a shame it is that this underappreciated actor was only recognized with a single Academy Award nomination over his entire career, and that for a supporting role in 1945, before he had become a leading man. Gregory Peck is also exceptional in a part that fits him like a glove. J. Lee Thompson directs with flair, and even though I knew how things would turn out, his direction had me biting my nails.
I expected the film by necessity to be much tamer than Scorsese's version given how long ago it was released, which it is, but not by as much as I anticipated. This is a frank, shocking film for 1962, one that got under my skin and freaked me out.
Grade: A
Robert Mitchum is absolutely terrifying in this film, much more so than Robert De Niro, who gave an undisciplined and campy performance. Mitchum is understated, ominous, and sexy in pretty equal parts, and watching him makes one recognize what a shame it is that this underappreciated actor was only recognized with a single Academy Award nomination over his entire career, and that for a supporting role in 1945, before he had become a leading man. Gregory Peck is also exceptional in a part that fits him like a glove. J. Lee Thompson directs with flair, and even though I knew how things would turn out, his direction had me biting my nails.
I expected the film by necessity to be much tamer than Scorsese's version given how long ago it was released, which it is, but not by as much as I anticipated. This is a frank, shocking film for 1962, one that got under my skin and freaked me out.
Grade: A