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As Courage the Cowardly Dog puts it, "the things I do for love." This quote entered my brain after picking up the pieces of this movie because wow, does hapless armored car driver Steve (Lancaster) make you wonder about the things you would do! I've only seen the actor in roles where he's "been through it," - see Atlantic City and Field of Dreams - or "knows the score" - see The Sweet Smell of Success - so it was a nice change of pace to watch him play an everyman who makes it up as he goes along, if you will, and he definitely pulls it off. While Steve did not come back to America after serving in the war like so many other film noir "heroes" did, he's especially convincing at proving you can’t go home again and not just because the ex-wife he still pines for is with someone else. It's not hard to see why he would since De Carlo makes Anna irresistible from frame one, and Duryea imbues new flame Slim Dundee with just the right amounts of deception and smarm. Upon learning Steve's profession, my anticipation rose for a heist scene, and boy, did it exceed my expectations! Despite occurring in heavy fog, the excitement, fear and quality of the craft make it seem ahead of its time. As for the titular event, I don't think it's a spoiler to say that it's devastating, although what the movie hints at afterwards - and with delightful subtlety, I might add - takes the edge off by just the right amount.
This is a classic film noir for again, doing a great job at making you think about what you would do for who you love. The same goes for how it makes you wonder how much is too much. Also, if you're mostly familiar with Burt Lancaster from the work he did at the end of his career like I am, this movie is as good a place as any to spark an interest in his early work, not to mention see him in a much different kind of part. What's more, if you're also drawn to this genre to bask in the beauty and unique atmosphere of 1940's Los Angeles, you will not be disappointed in this regard.
As Courage the Cowardly Dog puts it, "the things I do for love." This quote entered my brain after picking up the pieces of this movie because wow, does hapless armored car driver Steve (Lancaster) make you wonder about the things you would do! I've only seen the actor in roles where he's "been through it," - see Atlantic City and Field of Dreams - or "knows the score" - see The Sweet Smell of Success - so it was a nice change of pace to watch him play an everyman who makes it up as he goes along, if you will, and he definitely pulls it off. While Steve did not come back to America after serving in the war like so many other film noir "heroes" did, he's especially convincing at proving you can’t go home again and not just because the ex-wife he still pines for is with someone else. It's not hard to see why he would since De Carlo makes Anna irresistible from frame one, and Duryea imbues new flame Slim Dundee with just the right amounts of deception and smarm. Upon learning Steve's profession, my anticipation rose for a heist scene, and boy, did it exceed my expectations! Despite occurring in heavy fog, the excitement, fear and quality of the craft make it seem ahead of its time. As for the titular event, I don't think it's a spoiler to say that it's devastating, although what the movie hints at afterwards - and with delightful subtlety, I might add - takes the edge off by just the right amount.
This is a classic film noir for again, doing a great job at making you think about what you would do for who you love. The same goes for how it makes you wonder how much is too much. Also, if you're mostly familiar with Burt Lancaster from the work he did at the end of his career like I am, this movie is as good a place as any to spark an interest in his early work, not to mention see him in a much different kind of part. What's more, if you're also drawn to this genre to bask in the beauty and unique atmosphere of 1940's Los Angeles, you will not be disappointed in this regard.