Act of Violence

One of the most tense and tightly constructed noirs I've ever seen, with a morality as murky and gray as any. Act of Violence lacks the typically clear division between hero and villain, and benefits greatly from that: the story becomes more and more morally complex with each new layer that's revealed. This also boasts some of the best, darkest noir cinematography around. Highly recommended.

A great postwar crime drama, cynical and full of dark themes. It's a tense and suspenseful film noir that boasts some of the darkest, gloomiest black and white cinematography I've ever seen and a cast of disturbed characters to match. It drags on a bit in some places, but usually, for lack of a less cliche phrase, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

A pretty great noir with rather strong performances, particularly by Van Heflin (that guy is the man!). Mostly, it's noteworthy for playing interestingly with audience allegiance, applying the noir trait that there is no black and white in terms of good and bad people.

Good cast (and the three leads are excellent). Taut script and direction (especially loved the shot of Heflin running as the els pass overhead). Zany score too.

Has to be one of the finer noirs I've seen, combining both mature characterization and genre thrills. Heflin and Ryan are both fantastic as the disturbed ex-POWs, the photography is gorgeous and the film's portrayal of survivor guilt and desperation is as good as you'll find anywhere. This reminds me a lot of "The Third Man", actually, both in its treatment of old friends turned mortal enemies and of the spectre of World War II hanging over everything.

Though at odds with one another, neither of the leads can be classed as hero or villain, and both have just cause to want the other gone. This makes a film that refreshingly works outside of traditional Hollywood notions of good and evil, allowing ample tension to build as the plot progresses unpredictably towards its fatal finale, with Zinnemann's direction filling each scene with unyielding menace. Heflin and Ryan are perfectly cast.

Now this is what I call a shame: it begins with a marvelous premise, it keeps it's tension all the way, but it ends up with an awful scene, typical of a crappy Hollywood story.

Good story, but the actors let the movie down.

One turn aside, it's a tightly scripted tension filled film. Both leads were sympathetic despite being in conflict, which gives the whole affair a melancholy feel. Robert Ryan and Van Heflin reveal their respective characters inner conflicts in unique but effective ways. Not showy performances, but they're perfectly fitting for the film. I'm not sure the right ending for this film could exist, which is kind of the point, but what we get strikes the right chords. Good use of visual contrasts too.

Should be better known. A noir about pursuit, lies and the decisions we're sometimes forced to make in the most harrowing of situations. Robert Ryan's performance is pure terror, the sound of his limp unmistakable as the coming of danger. The ending is unbelievably bleak.

Taut film noir I got very caught up in. Great performances, music and lighting. It gets right into it from the start and moves along at the perfect pace.

Unresolved war issues make this a complex ethical one for the audience. Post war family values nake us sympathetic to the targeted instigator but revealing elements slowly turn our support to the hunter. Realistic and dangerous sub levels keep your interest.

The best section of the film has Van Heflin running down desolate, wind-swept streets in the middle of the night, looking for a place to escape from Robert Ryan. Unluckily for him, he runs into Mary Astor.

one of the most haunted noirs. even in the middle of a peaceful lake your past will find a little boat and row itself out to confront you; there's nowhere to hide.

A sterling example of noir, with deep contrast in the lighting, slow-burn tension, a descent into the underworld, and the past coming back to haunt you. Overall, this is a really solid and gripping piece of work, with some memorable moments and thoughtful post-war themes. Wonderful climax and resolution, too, and a clever use of sound. The acting is mostly strong. I'm tempted to give this is a higher rating, but it didn't quite push my buttons in that certain way.

Revenge is a dish best served black and white.

You'll find other noirs which are more consistently intense, but very few which are as atmospheric. The cinematography drowns the viewer in gloomy & intrusive imagery which symbolizes the protagonist's fracturing mind. Wherever Frank walks, shadows emerge and follow ominously. The city is presented as otherworldly and ghostlike. Even the film's antagonist is not really an actual person so much as another representation of Frank's prewar guilt. The shot of the train is particularly memorable.

Pure noir in its atmosphere, story-line and characters. Also, delves deeper into human conflict with a narrative that's doesn't leave any room for an honourable conclusion.

Men hiding beneath multiple layers of identities and lies to suppress their trauma. You can't hide forever

Early in the film, Enley leaves his wife and child in the house and runs away, knowing the man with the vendetta against him is coming to look for him. From then on, I hated him. I could forgive his dark prison camp secret - presented as his only sin - but not his reckless endangerment of his dependents during peace time. Act of Violence is a fairly effective thriller (and nicely shot) but for this woeful miscalculation, and of course, the incredibly hokey ending.

Fred Zinnemann's films are about the community surviving as heroes stand by principle. But in Act of Violence, there is a rare bleak absence of hope, of lives that cannot avoid being destroyed by consequences. It is a unusual picture of the slow stain of war. So here we have an 82 minute picture, not quite an A movie, not quite a B, but a tough, tight script, done economically and effectively, doing its damaging bit to present a real Americana, crowded with weak people and desperate compromises.

Absolutely fucking incredible. The consonant, beautiful cinematography and careful, intimidating mise-en-scène lighting establish a mood of intrusive (and semingly permanent) bewilderment and despair, in this atmospheric noir. Zinnemann address some post-war issues and imbue moral ambiguity in the gloomy world he set up, where the antiheroes are 'common men', with hearts and faults, and the femme fatale a sympathetic dame trapped in an unfortunate maze. Gracious gloom. Loved it!

A really, really good, nearly great noir that deals in some moral complexities/shades of gray and has strong style and an intriguing story. Heflin and Ryan are both solid in their roles. It's barely over 80 minutes and that's all it needs, as it makes use of every second to efficiently tell its story. It's too bad we don't see movies of this length any more. Sometimes this is all a movie needs but they often feel the need to inflate it by 20 or 30 or 40 minutes. Great stuff from Zinnemann.

Gritty psychological drama. Wasn't perfectly tuned for me personally, but there's no denying traumatic nature of this post-war stalking. The key scenes were amazing, especially how the ugly mugs of Van Heflin & Robert Ryan were lit!

90

This is a really fine film. The premise is intriguing and it gets pretty suspenseful. Even the daytime fishing scene looks threatening.

"High Noon of film noir" from Zinnemann.