Review of I Want to Live! (1958) by Wayne K — 31 Mar 2018

I Want To Live is so determined to reassure us that's it's entirely fact based by having not 1 but 2 disclaimers, one before the film and one after, proclaiming it be the truth. Unfortunately, the film is not a grounded in reality as it would have you believe.

Doubt still exists as to whether Barbara Graham committed the murder or not, but the film sheds no light on this issue, since we never even see it taking place. We cut from her hanging with her cronies straight to the arrest.

Susan Hayward turns in an admirably intense, if a little over the top performance as the woman condemned to death. She moves from sassy back talk to genuine fear impressively, but the story in which she's involved isn't given enough depth to be interesting.

It also shows the setting up of the gas chamber in meticulous detail, right down to what levers need to pulled and in what order. It's interesting for sure, but it doesn't need to be so thorough and pays havoc with the pacing.

The film starts lagging when Graham is transferred to Death Row, picking up a little when the torturous stays start prolonging her suffering. But the trial is the highlight, with all the dubious evidence and lies coming together to form a case our protagonist finds herself unable to fight against.

As manufactured as this true story might be, it's still watchable for the lead performance and commentary on the judicial taking of a life.