Reviews

Brilliant film. Like Frankenheimer's The Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)this film moves well beyond the issues of prison reform and ponders the many complex facets of human violence.

John Smith (Val Kilmer) says something like "Make no mistake. We are all in prison." The film successfully articulates that "this could be you" perspective, but in a much broader sense breaks down the barriers between "inside" and "outside" even as it authentically recreates the "inside." One is left with the feeling that we need to completely rethink the relationship between prison and society -- as well as re-evaluate the function of prisons.

Also--Val Kilmer is spectacular; under playing a powerful role. In my book he is one of the best actors of his generation. One is tempted to assume that there must be some problem with his career because he is not making "blockbusters"--but I tend to think that he is consciously choosing to be an actor instead of a movie star.

The wide-screen format was at most only two years old when this film was made. Yet, Charles G. Clarke's shot composition in the new wide-screen format is beautiful. This alone makes the film worth watching.

This is a good example of a color film noir; perhaps not as good as Niagara (1953) or Leave her to Heaven (1945), which were made by the same studio by the way (20th Century Fox), but still a good example from the noir cycle in color.

One way to understand film noir is that it is simply violent melodrama. Look at The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) for example. Violent Saturday (1955) is steeped in melodrama, but there is also some extraordinary violence. And the violence here--in typical noir fashion--is the resolution--however bleak--to some of the melodramatic conflict.

The film has a profound cynicism grinding beneath the surface of the beautiful color photography. And this cynicism remains at the end of the film.

If you haven't seen this film and you are interested in film noir or film of this period, then I would highly recommend the Violent Saturday.