Garfield's portrayal of Harry Morgan, a man forced into the seedy underworld out of financial hardship is fantastic. Despite being a broken man burdened by his poor decisions, Morgan remains tough as nails right to the very end. Even more interesting than Garfield's role here are the racial undertones at work in the camaraderie of Morgan and his friend Wesley. The final shot is heartbreaking. Shame the idiotic political witchhunts of its era meant this film never got the due it deserved.

Curtiz makes the impact of the violence deeply felt. The final image is strikingly somber and haunting. Garfield is wonderful in the lead, with great supporting performances. The female characters are also handled very well, treated with complexity. Curtiz makes excellent use of dramatic angles and overhead lighting, and although the action scenes are sparse, they're loaded with tension. The film's biggest problem is a sluggish middle section, but otherwise it's a winner.

Great dark shots that portray how hemmed in Harry Morgan is. We can understand how a good man might break the way he does. And he *is* a good man -- he manages to resist Patricia Neal who is charming as heck; there's no way I could turn her down. The final shot of the little boy is amazing: its emotional power lies in reminding you of what everyone else has already forgotten.