Review of Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) by Patrick W — 06 Mar 2012

Mark Dixon is a brutal police detective who despises all criminals. One night while questioning a suspect he is attacked, but when he retaliates with a punch to the face, he kills the man. Given his past record, Mark decides to cover up the murder and the ensuing events is what Where the Sidewalk Ends is all about.

Throughout most of the film it seems like Preminger himself is unsure as to whether Dixon is in fact a good man at heart. There are lots of small little anecdotes along the narrative informing the viewer about different aspects of what makes Mark Dixon the man he is.

You have the diner waitress, who is extremely saucy with mark, but clearly likes him for saving her from an abusive husband. You have his colleague, Bert Freed's wife, who complains behind closed doors about how terrible of a person Mark is.

Even later on, Dixon himself provides one as he talks about his father, a street thug which Dixon proclaims he spend his entire life trying to be anything like. The film wants Dixon to wallow in his guilt, with brooding dark skylines and scenes which tease at the notion of Dixon being seen (the train stopping above him).

Having On Deadly Ground so fresh in my mind I can't help to compare the two films. While I do think Ray's film is more of an emotional journey through a man's soul, Preminger's is a calculated narrative which through subtle nuisances does create an interesting study of the fine line between cop and criminal.