Edge of Doom

Dark, bleak and depressing. It presents the world as a cold, indifferent place. The photography is wonderful, capturing the dark city streets, enclosed areas, and haunted faces. Rarely have I seen a film so thick with cynicism and pessimism, and much credit belongs to director Mark Robson for creating such a gloomy atmosphere. On the downside: Granger isn't a terrible actor, but he's never been a great one, and the blatant pro-Christianity is quite off-putting.

Granger shines in this bleak film noir as a young man who kills a priest in his desperation to see his recently deceased mother given a proper burial. Not up to the standards of other Granger noirs, SIDE STREET and THEY LIVE BY NIGHT, but well worth a look.

A bit troublesome because I think the damn priest was an idiot and had it coming, but I don't think being troublesome in that regard is a bad thing. I sometimes have issues with Granger's acting style, but I think it works quite well here. His desperation is palpable, but completely understandable, and it builds some effective tension without being overbearing. I found the preachiness of Dana Andrews' character a bit annoying, but otherwise it's a good performance too.

Though dark subject matter, a well-made thriller/film noir.

The performances (and storyline) prove better than the flashback summations would have them be. Unfortunately, the Andrews' character's smug moralizing tends to get more than a bit intrusive along the way. Very good indeed though is the final confrontation between Granger and the elderly priest; the limitations of both become evident, as they each take turns talking and never really listen at all to what the other is saying. No doubt the priest feels as cut off from (and by) the world as Martin.

Flawed, but interesting. Apparently, the bookends with the priest's narration were late additions to give the film a more upbeat message. It is very hard, however, to accept the priest's interpretation of the events. If there is redemption here, it is not Christian. It was kind of neat how when the haunted protagonist prayed, he prayed to his dead mother, not a priestly father.

There is a lot to this depressive religious toned noir, but on the surface it lacks a proper gimmick to draw you in. So instead of becoming this gripping story, Edge of Doom (1950) becomes slow torture.