Desperate
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Desperate

1947
Drama
1h 13m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 48.24% from 90 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(90)
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Rated 13 Nov 2014
70
65th
The plot is as weak as I get in the knees when thinking about the mesmerizingly perfect Audrey Long. The cinematography is beautiful, too.
Rated 06 Nov 2012
77
51st
Burr continues to impress me and this is a fun little noir story with great Mann cinematography. The pacing could use some work, though, it's jumpy and some of the motivations don't really work. Not great, but a solid noir.
Rated 04 Jul 2013
68
29th
Burr's good, but the leads are a little dull. Also, at the end, where's he going? He lives there.
Rated 02 Jul 2010
81
48th
Effective low-budget early Anthony Mann noir, featuring: 1) ominous scenes in dark sleazy rooms with swinging overhead lights, rooming house stairwells with menacing shadows, etc., and 2) a superbly psychotic performance by Raymond Burr.
Rated 05 Aug 2010
65
25th
Meh. Ho-hum cat-and-mouse noir in which a truck driver gets imbroiled in a deadly heist and has to protect himself from the law, and his wife from the gangsters. The photography allows for some nice moments, but the plot is pretty formulaic. The real problems is that the lead actors Steve Brodie and Audrey Lane fail to inspire, they're too earnest and one-dimensional. Worthwhile for the cinematography, tense climax, and Raymond Burr. Otherwise kind of blah.
Rated 31 Dec 2018
73
61st
They blew all the budget on the actors they couldn't afford a non swinging light.
Rated 30 Nov 2019
68
35th
Okay enjoyable noir. But Steve Brodie doesn't have enough charisma to carry the picture and the pacing is off with the plot skipping months ahead at times.
Rated 24 Oct 2020
40
31st
Great use of light in this black and white film, but the story is laughable.
Rated 26 Apr 2021
60
89th
Anthony Mann starting to find his game with Steve Brodie on the run from criminals wanting revenge. While being Brodie only starring cinema feature, it was also the break-through role for Mr. Perry Mason himself, Raymond Burr! The two worked together on Code of the West (1947) and a mutual respect grew out of that, resulting in them appearing in this suspense thriller, which delivered a rather grueling cat and mouse chase. Definitely a very competent job from the Mann.
Rated 15 Nov 2023
54
44th
Solid early Noir from Anthony Mann. It's mostly a couple on a run film, and especially the first half is fast paced and their downward spiral feels hopeless in a fine Noir fashion. It does slow down a bit towards the end, but 70min runtime ensures that you will not get bored. Cast is OK and especially Burr as the baddie and Fowley as the dandy private detective hired by the bad buys made an impression. Not quite a gem, but still a perfectly entertaining B-noir.
Rated 24 Sep 2022
70
42nd
This film's an odd hybrid. A decent, tense crime flick during the first and final act, and a not-so-terribly-interesting domestic drama during the middle. Brodie and Long set up house in rural settings until Burr catches up again ... like an episode of "The Fugitive", "The Incredible Hulk" or "The Littles Hobo". It's Anthony Mann, so the good bits outweigh the duller ones.

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