Review of A View from the Bridge (1962) by Paul Z — 17 Oct 2012

Though much of the cast is limited by what seems like phonetic line delivery, they---especially Maureen Stapleton---manage to give strongly felt performance typical of more prominent works by the film's director, the great Sidney Lumet, to whom this earnest picture owes a level of social realism still rare for its time in portraying the environment of a man with an emotional fixation which causes him to alienate himself from his family and arguably us.

Like many of Lumet's earliest outings, it's a hard-bitten story, but in this case one that despite its low visibility remains relevant for its sympathetic take on illegals.