Review of Key Largo (1948) by Mark B — 20 Feb 2010

You could have done a pirouette in the middle of the Key Largo hotel, tossing out awards for great performances, and whoever catches them, so be it. What a fantastic array of interesting, absorbing characters. Even the weather in Key Largo has personality plus!

This film makes you appreciate something that has been lost by most modern film makers -- the ability to create compelling characters on paper, and cast them perfectly. Then, to cap it off, they had amazingly talented actors who owned their roles.

I've seen a handful of Bogart's films, and his low key portrayal of the wandering war hero Frank McCloud appears to be out of the ordinary for him. No problem for one of the old masters, though. Edward G. Robinson is bigger than life as Johnny Rocco, and his henchmen, despite their lesser roles, are right there with him. It was early in the career of Lauren Bacall, but Largo shows off her mysterious looks. Lionel Barrymore tops it all off as the hotel's proprietor.

The themes are obvious, and there are few true surprises. A raw lesson in true courage shines through in end, overshadowing the multiple tragedies within the film. Somehow, as dark as it gets, Key Largo gives us hope that good always eventually prevails over evil, as long as we are willing to accept painful losses along the way.