A masterpiece of film noir, this is one of Edward G. Robinson's best performances, which is saying alot. Too bad the production code was in full force at this point.

Edward G. proves he has range with a quiet turn as a pathetic man caught in the traditional web of lies, unwilling to give up the better world glimpsed in a misunderstanding. The film struggles with tone; it threatens constantly to veer into the truly dark, but then cuts right back into light comedy, before flinging itself over the guardrail at the end. I might've guessed it to be Lang towards the end, there, but otherwise it bears little in the way of hallmarks.

The characters are at once despicable and sympathetic, and that makes this love triangle noir a really engaging and effective piece of suspense. It really works around the limitations of the Hayes code with some originality and ends as strongly as it starts.

A sort of a light drama that veers into something surprisingly darker towards the end of the film. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but it's all pretty well done and I did like the pessimistic conclusion. Edward G. Robinson is pathetic as hell in this.

An incredible movie that stands as one of the greatest pictures I've had the pleasure to see.The acting in this film is phenomenal.Edward G. Robinson, Dan Duryea and Margaret Lindsey give performances of the highest order.Fritz Lang directs the film in a way that meticulously crafts a spider web that ensnares everybody.Rarely have I seen an ending as good as this and as in sync with what we know about the character.Two Thumbs enthusiastically up for this masterpiece.

A truly phenomenal yet simple film; take a solid story, add a terrific ensemble performance, a hell of a director, and you get a great picture. It's deliciously dark and evil, and Edward Robinson's downtrodden Chris Cross is exceptional. He portrays the whole gamut of emotions, even murderous rage. The only slight weakness is the ending; Chris being "punished" so severely by his inner guilt is too Puritanical and silly for such a serious, mature film.

#997

One of my favorite Fritz Lang films of his Hollywood era. A very good companion-piece to The Woman In The Window, directed by Fritz Lang one year earlier. Both feature legendary Edward G. Robinson as leading-man in similar roles. Classic(s)!

Negatives first - I thought some of the acting, particularly from Joan Bennett, was a little too theatrical at times, and Duryea really didn't cut it as a tough guy. Other than that, it's all you want in a noir. A pitiful leading man trapped by circumstance, a deadly dame with sharp claws, greed, lust, murder, guilt... all the good stuff. The shift in tone towards the end is perhaps a little jarring, but the final 15 minutes is about as dark as it comes, which is fine by me.

This is one of my favorite films. One of the darkest film noirs I've ever seen, if not the darkest. Edward G. Robinson is brilliant, as usual. The film flows so well. The story and characters are very rich, and the last 20 minutes is some of the best footage ever filmed. The ending is just haunting.

for cat's sake

Well-directed, sharp and laden, it's a solid slice of film noir from the mid-40s. Fritz Lang handle the medium with an inexhaustible elegance and a visible assertiveness; this is sublime filmmaking.

Eddie G brings an otherwise mediocre Noir up to greatness with a fantastic against-type role.

Fritz Lang Joan Bennett = Film Noir CLASSIC!

Great film.

I liked Renoir's handling of the material more. It's funnier and doesn't have such a heavy-handed moralistic conclusion. Lang's films is hampered by production codes. All criminals must be punished. The prostitute and pimp of La Chienne are replaced by a catalog model and her mildly abusive fiancé. When considered in contrast, I can't help but feel I'm being fed something watered down. Still, Lang's movie is well done and Robinson is almost as good as Simon as the sad sack protagonist.

The story is quite contrived, and the characters two-dimensional. The script in general isn't very good. The strength lies in a few of the little details. Bits of it shine in a way I can't put my finger on. It's certainly carefully made, but still very overrated.

One of the saddest and most frightening movies I've ever seen. It's so outrageous and believable that I couldn't help but be sucked into it's darkness. Brilliant performances all around in this strange film of awkward images.

A great noir with nuanced direction. Robinson is too smart and fatalistic to be completely pathetic, Duryea is too weak and fragile to be utterly vile, and Joan Bennett . . . well Joan Bennett is wonderful. Besides being sexy in her lingerie--and even sexier in her transparent raincoat--she is too full of life to be stereotyped as a femme fatale. Her lazy sensuality, her amusement at Edward G.'s dorkiness, even her baffling love for Duryea, give this movie a distinctive European feel.

940

Quite interesting, but very uneven: from lighthearted 'comedy' to a creepy ending.

952