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#545 - I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang
Mervyn LeRoy, 1932
An ex-serviceman is arrested for a crime he didn't commit and intends to escape from his chain gang.
I reckon that most of the people who find out about Paul Muni these days are likely to do so because of his starring role in the original Scarface, which proved to be enough of a reason for me to check out one of his other best-known roles with I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang. Though there's a superficial similarity in how Muni's character in this film is also driven to overcome adversity and become a success through illegal means, with this film there's a lot more nuance to the character and the performance. After coming back from serving in the war, Muni doesn't just want to return to the grind of his old factory clerk job and instead plans on traveling around looking for more meaningful hands-on work. Unfortunately, unemployment and destitution follow him wherever he goes and he eventually becomes an unwitting accomplice in a hold-up. The robber is killed, but Muni is caught alive and placed on a chain gang. As you can probably guess from the title, he eventually escapes, but that's not the end of his troubles by a long shot.
I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang is a sufficiently competent film that is not dated by its setting as it tackles issues of injustice and moral relativity. Muni brings considerable vulnerability to a character who starts off confident and idealistic but is soon ground down by a world that seems to have very little use for him and then puts him through one unfortunate situation after another. Though he is prone to instances of ethical flexibility throughout the film, none of them are so egregious that he loses an audience's sympathy The film thankfully doesn't drag out either the imprisonment or the escape and instead continues to build highs and lows for Muni as he seemingly manages to escape the crooked justice associated with work gangs, but he still ends up encountering all sorts of unexpected obstacles as he tries to rebuild his life on the outside. As is to be expected from an early talkie, the film is lean and punchy - as a result, performances are a little stilted at times but generally passable. Even with such a short running time, there are parts that threaten to drag but for the most part the suspense is pretty strong, especially while Muni is escaping. It's a bit on the pulpy side and doesn't feel strong enough to warrant a repeat viewing, but it's still good, and that ending genuinely caught me off-guard (if only because I had no idea that this film was pre-Code). Worth at least one watch if you want an old-timey thriller with a little weight to it.
Mervyn LeRoy, 1932
An ex-serviceman is arrested for a crime he didn't commit and intends to escape from his chain gang.
I reckon that most of the people who find out about Paul Muni these days are likely to do so because of his starring role in the original Scarface, which proved to be enough of a reason for me to check out one of his other best-known roles with I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang. Though there's a superficial similarity in how Muni's character in this film is also driven to overcome adversity and become a success through illegal means, with this film there's a lot more nuance to the character and the performance. After coming back from serving in the war, Muni doesn't just want to return to the grind of his old factory clerk job and instead plans on traveling around looking for more meaningful hands-on work. Unfortunately, unemployment and destitution follow him wherever he goes and he eventually becomes an unwitting accomplice in a hold-up. The robber is killed, but Muni is caught alive and placed on a chain gang. As you can probably guess from the title, he eventually escapes, but that's not the end of his troubles by a long shot.
I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang is a sufficiently competent film that is not dated by its setting as it tackles issues of injustice and moral relativity. Muni brings considerable vulnerability to a character who starts off confident and idealistic but is soon ground down by a world that seems to have very little use for him and then puts him through one unfortunate situation after another. Though he is prone to instances of ethical flexibility throughout the film, none of them are so egregious that he loses an audience's sympathy The film thankfully doesn't drag out either the imprisonment or the escape and instead continues to build highs and lows for Muni as he seemingly manages to escape the crooked justice associated with work gangs, but he still ends up encountering all sorts of unexpected obstacles as he tries to rebuild his life on the outside. As is to be expected from an early talkie, the film is lean and punchy - as a result, performances are a little stilted at times but generally passable. Even with such a short running time, there are parts that threaten to drag but for the most part the suspense is pretty strong, especially while Muni is escaping. It's a bit on the pulpy side and doesn't feel strong enough to warrant a repeat viewing, but it's still good, and that ending genuinely caught me off-guard (if only because I had no idea that this film was pre-Code). Worth at least one watch if you want an old-timey thriller with a little weight to it.