Two men scheme to expose the flaws of capital punishment by influencing a murder investigation with fake circumstantial evidence. It's a premise similar to Life of David Gale, and equally ludicrous. It does have some surprises, but they're even more absurd than the way I expected it to go. Dana Andrews pretty much sleepwalks through his part, and like most of Lang's noir, the direction is far too workmanlike. Lang's last American picture is one of his biggest duds. There's just no spark here.

Can't make my mind up about this one. The first half is interesting as Andrews and Blackmer set their plan in motion, but it loses steam once the courtroom stuff begins. There are twists aplenty, some of which are unexpected and exciting, but others that are ludicrous and illogical. Thematically it's a straightforward condemnation of capital punishment, but the very last act seems to contradict what the film had been trying to say and just left me scratching my head.

#794

772

# 678

743

Minimalist movie-making. Dark, unemotional, disturbing.

Great acting and an interesting premise directed by Fritz Lang should make for a compelling film. However, its many good qualities are undermined by Lang's complete inability to execute the key plot points in anything resembling an organic fashion. Time after time we get involved in the story only to be 'shocked' and by the end it not only hampers enjoyment, it undermines any value the story holds and any message it tries to convey.

Classic.

Fritz Lang's kiss-off to America. His frustration toward the studio is painfully apparent when watching this film. Although Dana Andrews and Joan Fontaine are quietly fantastic, the story is too caught up on trying to fool the audience to have a lasting impact. Flawed, but still enjoyable.