That heaven for the captions...you'll probably need them.
If ever there was an old film that I am glad had closed captioning, it's this one. As an American and a person with a slight hearing loss, I never could have watched BRIGHTON ROCK unless it had closed captions. That's because unlike many British films, this featured the accents of the working and lower-class--which are MUCH harder to understand for non-Brits. While the captioning was not perfect, it sure helped me follow along and enjoy the film, so I'd recommend that even if your hearing is 20/20 (ha!), try turning on the captions when you watch it--even if they are, at times, far from perfect.The story is about a small-time gang of thugs working in Brighton (a seaside resort in England). At the beginning of the film, they catch up to a man who betrayed them and the vicious guy played by Richard Attenborough kills him. However, the gang didn't do a great job hiding their tracks and the ever-paranoid Attenborough goes to extraordinary lengths to make sure the trail stays cold. Unfortunately, since the film makers apparently were pressured to point out that Brighton is a safe and wonderful place (hence the seemingly unnecessary prologue), you know that by the time all is said and done that the gang will get theirs--lest the film hurt tourism. This is actually a problem with the film--the film makers didn't want to make waves with local officials and you can just assume that it will have a "crime does not pay" ending. Too bad, as the film does otherwise get very high marks for its gritty realism. One horrific scene involves a banister--and fans of film noir will no doubt love this.
Overall, a gripping film with a particularly colorful and nasty performance by Attenborough. I loved his scar and unrelentingly awful character. Also, look for William Hartnell as one of the gang members--he was the first Doctor from the "Doctor Who" TV series. It's just a shame that the film makers telegraphed how the film must end.
score 7/10
MartinHafer 11 January 2010
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2190091/35344
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