Review of They Live by Night (1949) by Will S — 14 Mar 2016
Nicholas Ray's directorial debut bears the hallmarks of his later masterpieces - his central themes of doomed youth and conflicted masculinity are all here. It bears a vague resemblance to the Bonnie and Clyde story, but Ray's ultra-romantic vision has more in common with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
The early scenes, in particular, establish sympathy for the two main characters which a more conventional director could not have achieved, with naturalistic touches that show how Ray was a film-maker ahead of his time (which would ultimately be his undoing.
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This review of They Live by Night (1949) was written by Will S on 14 Mar 2016.
They Live by Night has generally received positive reviews.
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