Review of Brighton Rock (2010) by Michael B — 26 Feb 2011

Brighton Rock is a film noir, the story of an ambitious, dark and doomed young man's downfall, Pinkie, nicely played by Sam Riley, in the underworld of the coastal town of Brighton. The film has all the qualities of a classic film noir, one of which is its striking photography, hinting at German expressionism and its masterly use of light.

It is rare to find a director these days who understands and uses the full language of film. Rowan Joffe, for his first feature, does, and I was impressed. Cinema at its best is more than simply illustrating dialogues with images. It also has a visual language and grammar of its own and visually tells a story without relying too much on the dialogues. When brought together it creates a compelling experience.

The story, based on Graham Green's novel, is well crafted and the relationship between Pinkie and the young woman who plays the other main character works well. There is an unlikely but subtle chemistry between both actors, that drives the film to its denouement.

The opening scene, the murder of Pinkie's gang leader by a rival group in a damp cold night near the ocean, is carefully constructed and pure joy, a classic noir scene. It sets the tone of the film and symbolically mirrors one of the last key scenes of the film, also at night on the edge of a cliff. The opening sequence explains Pinkie's inherent psychological trauma and conflict: the death of the father. Pinkie witnesses the fight between his boss and a rival gang but arrives too late to help him. Helpless, he can only hold him as he dies violently from the wounds of a knife. To Pinkie his boss is much more than just the leader of the gang, he is also his surrogate father. Shocked by the loss and determined to avenge him at all cost, the premise is in place. He will not hesitate to take everybody down with him, even people who love him unconditionally, on his misplaced quest for vengeance. He becomes an anti hero.

I didn't read Graham Green's novel and I didn't see the 1947 version which both take place in the 1930s. Instead, Rowan Joffe, for his first film, sets the stage to 1964, and includes a few unnecessary scenes where mods battle rockers. These scenes add very little and distract what is a strong story.

There are other elements typical of the genre that are well crafted. The role of the night, more than just setting the mood, represents the dark side of Pinkie, full of danger.

Although only present a times, water also plays an important role, its relentless movement, stirring emotions and violence but also a more conventional role as a symbol for purification.

And last but not least, catholicism, a theme dear to Graham Green, runs through the whole film, giving meaning and texture to the characters. Joffe ends the story brilliantly with a twist that leaves us believing that innocent characters do experience miracles...