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I admit that I am no expert but I do love old movies. Maybe it was the other things I had been watching recently but I really appreciated this movie. I certainly got a kick out of the fight between Robinson and Bogart.
The plot has been reasonably well explained here so I won't repeat it yet again. I will say in summary that it is the story of a good person in a bad business and his voyage of discovery of himself. It is not really a gangster movie, that is just the package it is contained in and really not the key to enjoying the movie. One of the things that struck me during the movie was how much it helped me to appreciate Edward G. Robinson as an actor.
In this movie he spouts about every cliché that was ever associated with his gangster roles. In fact if someone came up to you and wanted to know what all the fuss about Eddie G. was throwing this movie at them would give them a pretty solid understanding. Yet somehow he manages to communicate how much more depth and potential there is to the character as a person than what you see and hear. Given that he was a well educated guy in real life and the silliness of some of the things he has to say that is quite an accomplishment. His mannerisms and reactions are perfect and I found myself understanding the character better because of what he emoted than what he said.
Though most of the plot is formulaic there are a couple of fairly humorous scenes with lively dialog. In fact there are a few that if you don't listen closely you will miss the joke. Another positive is that the humor lends to the plot rather than distracting from it. Something recent comedy-drama films could stand to remember.
I will disagree with a couple of posters who said this movie was less than it could of been. I think that is pretty harsh and feel the exact opposite. Given the time, the quality of the script, etc. it is quite well done. People, myself included, always complain that 30's-40's morality plays are always very heavy handed and leave nothing to subtlety or the viewers imagination. Brother Orchid is one that, for me anyway, stayed with me and the message of the film is somewhat open to interpretation: For example: themes of being open to change, accepting where life takes you, you can't always get what you want, understanding yourself, etc. The other thing that someone stated was that Robinson's character was a moron for a)leaving Ann Southern behind, b) leaving the business to Bogie and expecting to get it back. I think they missed something, the character is a self-absorbed man searching and he just doesn't realize it. He leaves Ann Southern because though he cares for her that isn't the life for him. He can't commit. There are several oblique references to this through out the movie.
If you are thinking of watching this for Bogie, don't expect much as he is little used but if you are looking for an under appreciated classic I think this is indeed one. I watch five to six old movies a week and this one stood out above the rest. Everyone has their own opinion but for me this was well worth the time and effort. A cut above most films of the period.
score 7/10
maibpenrai 5 May 2009
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2062444/ |
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28-3-2021 12:06:12