Review of Brighton Rock (1948) by Lawrence B — 03 Jan 2008

A lean, mean, steely adaptation by Graham Greene of his own 1938 novel, now regarded as a classic in British cinema. Although cited as 'watered-down' by fans of the book, one thing that cannot be undermined in this film is the quality of the casting.

Twenty-five year old Richard Attenborough's convincing and perfect performance as vicious juvenile gangster Pinkie Brown must have left Greene gob-smacked whilst Carol Marsh (as Pinkie's despairingly innocent girlfriend, Rose), William Hartnell and Hermione Baddeley serve to bring Greene's supporting ensemble of seaside characters memorably to life.

Certain aspects of the novel are lost or muddled on screen - Pinkie and Rose's obsession with Catholicism is patchy whilst the former's fear of sex is kept minimal, robbing the character of some of the depth that Greene conveyed in his book.

Attenborough and the supporting players however are so graceful in their roles that any shortcomings are more than forgiven and the ending - again, a cause of controversy to some - , in the eyes of this reviewer, is a masterstroke.