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The story of backstreet crime in Brighton between the two world wars. When small time crook Pinkie kills a newspaper man who helped get one of his gang he finds that the law is closing in on him. Meanwhile he faces pressure from the rival Corleoni gang and tension within his own gang.
This is a good British gangster film - it doesn't overdo the British slang and has a good story at it's core. However one thing gives this film it's edge - a ruthless performance by Sir Richard Attleborough as lead villain Pinkie. He has no redeeming qualities at all and is violent and ruthless to all - even those within his own gang.
The story is pretty good as Pinkie is hunted down towards the inevitable conclusion. Carol Marsh is good as Rose - the witness Pinkie marries in order to silence. However the only problem with the film is the conclusion. The final shot of the film had the potential to be the final devastating act of a horrible man - instead it is a happy ending for Rose but also offers a form of redemption via love for Pinkie (who is Catholic). This redemption is undeserved and is a poor way to end the film.
Other than that this is a classy British gangster film that doesn't rely on cliché or stereotypes in the same way that modern British gangster films do.
score /10
bob the moo 30 November 2001
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0035998/ |
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25-3-2021 18:05:13