← Back to Reviews
in
The Glass Wall, 1953
Peter (Vittorio Gassman) has escaped a concentration camp and smuggled himself aboard a ship bound for New York. But once he arrives in the city, he is discovered. Though he pleads that he qualifies for asylum because he aided the Allies during the war, he cannot give the exact name or address of the soldier, Tom (Jerry Paris), he assisted. Faced with deportation, Peter makes a run for it and begins a desperate search of the city for Tom, encountering the down-and-out Maggie (Gloria Grahame) who has problems of her own.
This was a very engaging thriller/drama, utilizing a plot with multiple moving parts and a range of sympathetic characters.
Peter is very easy to root for. In addition to his own personal dramatic circumstances, he is respectful of others and grateful for any kindnesses shown to him. But what keeps him from feeling like a Mary Sue is the streak of panic and desperation that propels him through the city streets, despite serious injuries he sustained in his initial escape from the boat. At times he does things that frighten others--such as when he forces Maggie to take him back to her apartment, despite her fears about his intentions--and it's clear that he would rather die in the attempt to prove his merits than go back to where he came from.
Maggie is also a sympathetic character. We first meet her when she's stealing a coat from a nightclub, then learn about the life she leads trying to scrape together enough money to pay her imposing landlord and the landlord's lecherous, threatening son. In one standout sequence, Maggie describes what it was like to work in a shoelace factory, and why she couldn't take it anymore. Peter struggles to reconcile this with his notions of America, where there is meaningful work for everyone. Later, we meet a woman named
Tanya (Robin Raymond), who is also sympathetic to Peter because her parents are immigrants. Likewise, Tom receives news of Peter's escape and feels compelled to help the man who saved his life during the war.
The New York in this film is a place both welcoming and threatening. Wherever Peter goes, there are people who are willing to help him, or at least to look the other way. At the same time, there are plenty of those who are predatory, willing to take advantage of the power they have over others. This is reflected in the way that the film is shot, with spaces that alternate between being claustrophobic and cozy.
It is true that the film depends on some coincidences that may seem a little far-fetched to some viewers. But none of these bothered me. This is an interesting movie that uses America's complicated relationship with immigrants and asylum seekers as the context for an engaging thriller/drama.
The Glass Wall, 1953
Peter (Vittorio Gassman) has escaped a concentration camp and smuggled himself aboard a ship bound for New York. But once he arrives in the city, he is discovered. Though he pleads that he qualifies for asylum because he aided the Allies during the war, he cannot give the exact name or address of the soldier, Tom (Jerry Paris), he assisted. Faced with deportation, Peter makes a run for it and begins a desperate search of the city for Tom, encountering the down-and-out Maggie (Gloria Grahame) who has problems of her own.
This was a very engaging thriller/drama, utilizing a plot with multiple moving parts and a range of sympathetic characters.
Peter is very easy to root for. In addition to his own personal dramatic circumstances, he is respectful of others and grateful for any kindnesses shown to him. But what keeps him from feeling like a Mary Sue is the streak of panic and desperation that propels him through the city streets, despite serious injuries he sustained in his initial escape from the boat. At times he does things that frighten others--such as when he forces Maggie to take him back to her apartment, despite her fears about his intentions--and it's clear that he would rather die in the attempt to prove his merits than go back to where he came from.
Maggie is also a sympathetic character. We first meet her when she's stealing a coat from a nightclub, then learn about the life she leads trying to scrape together enough money to pay her imposing landlord and the landlord's lecherous, threatening son. In one standout sequence, Maggie describes what it was like to work in a shoelace factory, and why she couldn't take it anymore. Peter struggles to reconcile this with his notions of America, where there is meaningful work for everyone. Later, we meet a woman named
Tanya (Robin Raymond), who is also sympathetic to Peter because her parents are immigrants. Likewise, Tom receives news of Peter's escape and feels compelled to help the man who saved his life during the war.
The New York in this film is a place both welcoming and threatening. Wherever Peter goes, there are people who are willing to help him, or at least to look the other way. At the same time, there are plenty of those who are predatory, willing to take advantage of the power they have over others. This is reflected in the way that the film is shot, with spaces that alternate between being claustrophobic and cozy.
It is true that the film depends on some coincidences that may seem a little far-fetched to some viewers. But none of these bothered me. This is an interesting movie that uses America's complicated relationship with immigrants and asylum seekers as the context for an engaging thriller/drama.