Force of Evil

You can see why someone like Scorsese is a fan. Has so many similarities wrt how it views power/capital and how it inflates the ego of those who don’t really have it but think they do. Scorsese uses it to show the brutality in man. But Polonsky being a communist uses this to show how money corrupts and tears at the fabric of the working class. Has more in common with a Vigo movie poetically than it does other noirs. A shadow filled shootout where you question who will die as if it matters

Garfield very good, despite one or two histrionic moments. The thing definitely played like a satire of capitalism.

okay movie

Strong noir that starts off slow but really comes into its own as it progresses. It's not as showy as some others but it's very well constructed, has good characters and ends on a great note.

Suspect that too much was condensed from the book for the story to work well. Not my kind of acting.

Underwhelming 'indictment of capitalism' by communist Polonsky. Pearson keeps it watchable.

40s Gangster films aren't exactly known for their subtlety, so imagine my surprise upon watching a gangster noir, that isn't just a subtle anti-capitalist parable, but also a moral fable rife with biblical symbolism and gorgeous poetic and philosophical dialogue. The gloomy atmosphere and aesthetics of film noir matches the gritty world and slow moral decay of its characters perfectly, creating a near nightmarish urban landscape. For his debut film, Polonsky had a superb mastery of the craft.

The way money and power can come between anyone and worm it’s way into your head. Polonsky understands it’s not just about the corruption of power for money but the way money separates everyone, even people with little power. A lot more talky than the average noir and I think the only gun shot used is in the final scene. The shadows in the scene. Perfection.

Often beautiful. Occasionally boring.

theatrical, entertaining and obviously influential, though at times a bit obvious. it was easy to understand the characters and their relationship to one another, and that was enough i think to get you through the story, but all the details of what made that story unique were gobbled up by the fast talk and lack of action. the plot was so big and had so many intricacies and before we could even settle down and try to make sense of what's going on, the film had already pushed through to the end.

Not as sensational as better known titles, this film gris is kinda talky, and all about numbers and banks. Still maintains tension. The forgettable cast and a few slight missteps in the pacing are small criticisms, but pretty good on the whole.

Good film noir. John Garfield, who's normally the "working-class guy with a heart of gold", is great as a tough-as-nails corrupt lawyer

tough, unsentimental, AWESOME

Star Rating: ★★★1/2

Starts a little slow, but builts to a strong finish. The main character does an honest assessment of both himself and others throughout the film which is very refreshing.

Pretty good noir in which John Garfield plays an unambiguously crooked lawyer. He's corrupt, he's greedy, he's a bit of a sleaze - but we kinda sympathize with him anyway. The film can be seen as an indictment of capitalism, blurring the lines between the legitimate Wall Street banks and the illegal numbers-rackets run by the mobsters. "Greed is good", 40 years before Gordon Gecko. There's a terrific climax with some great cinematography - I loved the outdoor location shots around New York.

Interesting noir where you're rooting for (presumably) the least slimiest of the corrupt. I had troubles with some of the plot lines (the romance seemed tacked on; the brothers' on-again, off-again relationship didn't make much sense), but it was gripping while I was watching. The preachy message and the overdramatic music forced me to give this one an average score.

Excellent noir with a wonderful aura of gloom to it. It has a kind of epic, operatic quality, like The Godfather. The dialogue is poetic and philosophical. John Garfield is great in the lead, and the supporting performances are even better. The movie does get slightly confusing towards the end, but that's fairly typical of the genre. It doesn't really matter, as the nuanced character drama is the real show here. Very riveting and also nicely shot.

Compelling story and acting compensate for some of the heavy-handedness of the approach. A good study of ambition and the different paths it leads the characters on.

More nuanced and less straightforward than most noirs. Garfield plays the main role really well and overall the dialogue and character relations work smoothly.

It's difficult to find a harsher critique of capitalism on film. The organized crime/big business metaphor is hardly unique to this film, but it's rarely used to such devastating effect. Garfield notes early in the film that Gomez's idea that his numbers operation is somehow clean is rampant hypocrisy, but as Gomez ends up with no choice but to join Roberts' operation, he ends up having to treat his own cadre of employees with increasing harshness, ultimately leading to everyone's downfall.

Moralistic, with crudely drawn characters and hammy performances, perhaps especially Garfield's.

Mildly-overacted noir about numbers racket. The screenplay teeters between typical 40s gangster dialog and armchair philosophical ruminations. The tonal clash fails to elevate the film, as does the bland sets and sound stages that also detract from the gritty tone the film tries to hit. Garfield carries off the charismatic yet slimy antihero well. Barnes reaches into his expressionistic cinematography tool bag for occasionally striking images providing some heft to Polonsky's steady direction.

VERY solid crime noir with a good performance from Garfield and a really good one from Thomas Gomez. Gomez (who plays one of the more sympathetic characters) is still a crook, running an honest mom and pop numbers racket that the mob (along with mob lawyer Garfield) is trying to move in on. I'm not surprised the female lead, Pearson, didn't really go anywhere. She has an innocent quality that's effective here but doesn't really have an actress's charisma/it factor. Sad Polonsky was blacklisted.

Loved the relationship of the two brothers. Both are on the wrong side of the law, but older brother had done so out of necessity, sacrificing himself to raise his brother right. To see his younger brother doing illegal business on a grander scale leads Leo to reject his brother. I love that Polonsky leaves most of this unstated--the tension between them is simply there from the beginning. A bit talky, but a strong indictment of profit over humanity.

Force of Evil (1948) felt like a poetic crime movie....