Review of Thieves' Highway (1949) by Simon M — 18 Nov 2010

Thieves Highway is an excellent movie; up until the ending. Categorized as a film noir, many argue that it really isn't a genuine noir because of the happy ending. The changed ending was shot(against director Jules Dassin's wishes) and tacked on last minute.

The film follows a pair of men who race to get a load of apples to a Bay Area market. Once half of the team gets there, things don't go as planned. This is a movie about the lengths men will go to attain financial security and it also works well as a revenge drama, moral fable and a condemantion of how Capitalism is a bloodsport.

I may have given the movie more than an 80% if the director wasn't forced to change the ending. I am certain that the movie does not have the same effect on viewers with the changed ending. Why do studios do this? Why do they put so much importance on test audiences? Hollywood bigwigs want happier endings because they feel that movies with more upbeat conclusions do better at the box office.

It is unfortunate that studios kowtow to test audiences. There are many movies throughout history that have downbeat endings that do quite well. Movies like Thieves Highway are almost ruined when changes are made, while other movies are changed completely with even the slightest tweak. Fatal Attraction, Blade Runner and Clerks all had different endings from what the director originally wanted as a conclusion to his or her movie. It is all about box office receipts and studio bosses who don't have much faith in average Joe's who go to movies.

Thank goodness that Thieves Highway wasn't ruined, but I did roll my eyes during the last shot. Jules Dassin fought hard to keep the original ending and was later blacklisted in the United States(probably for his Leftist ideas)which is why this was the last movie he made in Hollywood. Maybe movies should be released with two versions of certain films; one with the original ending and one with the reshot ending. Which do you think would be more popular? I know which one I would see.