A classic dark tale of a gang's destruction and implosion.

joebloggscity

For many, black and white gangster movies are cliché ridden, badly accented escapades for the masses. Once you've seen one you've seen them all with the Godfather in 1970's having finally broken the Hollywood mould. Wrong... far earlier than that, in the UK, this film helped to define the genre by being different, moody, dark and very thoughtful.

A surprisingly difficult and hard edged performance by Richard 'Dicky' Attenborough is the centre of this movie, as the youthful gang leader hell bent on doing whatever it takes to safeguard his own back.

As great as the book, and evoking of a bygone era, this film is essential viewing for its camera work as much as anything else.

A genuine classic movie in the over-done gangster genre, one I will definitely come back to in time.

score 8/10

joebloggscity 4 October 2005

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1186374/