Review of Brute Force (1947) by Gary T — 09 Nov 2009
The opening sequences in the rain are superb and set the mood perfectly for this prison film noir. The most underrated aspect of this film is the great score by Miklos Rozsa. This and "I was a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" are probably the two most influential prison movies, and for good reason.
Lancaster was at his best and a much better prisoner than in "Birdman from Alcatraz," although he pales in comparison to Paul Muni. Hume Cronyn as the weasily but ruthless guard was an almost perfect personification of evil.
Put a black and red armband on him and you have the archtypical gestapo agent. I saw the Criterion Collection edition and the remastering was wonderful. The only weaknesses I found were the flashbacks to how the main charcaters ended up in prison.
These scenes broke the continuity for me and could have been replaced with a few good lines of dialogue. But overall, a great film!
This review of Brute Force (1947) was written by Gary T on 09 Nov 2009.
Brute Force has generally received very positive reviews.
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