Odd Man Out

Reed once again brings on the stunning photography, with deep, long shadows and fantastic hallucination sequences. And the story contains a lot of tension, and comments on the issue of taking sides without actually taking sides itself. However, it falls short of The Third Man. Mason doesn't have the commanding screen presence of Cotten or Welles. And I couldn't help feeling a bit restless, wanting the plot to move forward more swiftly. It felt like the suspense was at odds with the drama.

I wanted to like this one so much, lover of James Mason and The Third Man that I am, but apart from some great acting and occasional lapses into poetry, it falls flat.

Its backdrop is political, but it's more about the motivations, choices, and consequences of desperate characters caught in the crossfire of an unfortunate situation. Apart from his crisis of conscience after killing a man, the main character is a bit of a blank slate, merely a catalyst for the rest of the cast. But James Mason plays him well, and the movie is so much fun that I didn't really care. The cinematography anticipates the shadowy Viennese labyrinth Reed would become best known for.

Odd Man Out (1947) shows a striking maturity of British crime productions, and James Mason shines as the doomed wounded robber. Not only him, but just about every character that shows-up on screen makes a remarkable impression. On top of that, the expressionism or film-noir, is wonderfully implemented. Resulting in a thrilling hunt, turned into a very human story. Stunning work from Carol Reed and his associates.

Carol Reed in training for his masterpiece; could use more talent in the cast [Kathleen Ryan is no Alida Valli] but it's well-rounded enough. That last act really puts a damper on things, stretches it out to an unwieldy pace.

A wonderful film with two main threads, the story of a man trying to get back home after a botched robbery and the reactions toward him of everyone else in the film. At times things progress a tad slowly, and Mason isn't the most appealing lead, but the tension holds well throughout the film and the photography and use of shadows is spectacular. Especially the final scenes, with hallucinations and snowfall, are beautiful to watch.

Mason is very good indeed, and it begins well, but when Robert Newton's character comes in, the plot falls apart.

A very solid noir with spectacular photography, particularly the parts featuring rain and snow. The surreal touches help the film stand out more as well.

A character I care nothing about wanders around half-dead from one scene to the next. Riveting.

Some nice photography. If only the decent, albeit slightly unfocused, plot had been as crisp. Why not spend more time with Rosie and the Inspector? Or the priest. Instead, we get somewhat superflous scenes with a homeless painter, a character bordering on caricature which I would've liked to cut (from the movie; and literally).

Another great looking noir from Carol Reed. I loved the homeless painter.

You won't find a better bus scene.

No Welles and no sewer chase scene is a definite downgrade from The Third Man, but Krasker and Reed's noir compositions are incredibly layered and strikingly dark as always.

Viewed January 1, 2018.

# 394

Between the expressionist lighting, claustrophobic framing and tight editing, Odd Man Out is one of the tensest noir thrillers I've ever seen with a narrative that's gripping and unpredictable. Additionally it does the tough job of making a film about an incredibly complex issue that makes all sides sympathetic, but none of them heroic or villainous.

É interessante por adotar a perspectiva do bandido, porém o personagem é psicologicamente pouco explorado. O mais interessante é ver como o restante da população reage à presença do mais temido e procurado bandido, uma vez que se forem vistos ajudando ele se complicam, porém têm medo de não ajudá-lo em nada.

A nearly 2-hour movie about a bunch of morons unable to find their friend who fell out of their car and they didn't stop for despite not being chased. And that happened after they left him standing, allowed someone to walk up and point a gun at him. The utter stupidity and lack of tempo made me unable to enjoy this crappy version of The Seventh Cross.

469

89.00

89.000

Kuzey İrlanda, banka soygunu, soygun sonrasi kacis, saklanmak, cinayet, ihbar, intihar

A very good film that falls frustratingly short of brilliance. It has some remarkable night-time photography that brings Reed's later "Third Man" to mind, and its depiction of Mason's character wandering the city while wounded, not to mention Mason's impressive performance, is unique and creates a gloomy yet oddly gorgeous mood. The issue is that it's a bit too long and scattered for its own good. The cast is large and although they're all good I'd prefer something more concise and forceful.

I'm not a scholar on noir, but I think it usually has (at least) two ingredients: the imposition of unjustness on the characters, and a feeling of desperation. Here, though, we have a gang planning a robbery, so the "unjustness" is really self-made. And with a main character being a priest, and the real main character suddenly preaching Paul's letter to the Corinthians, there's a lot more hope than in most noir films. A little long, but good camera work throughout.

Not bad.

This is not director Carol Reed's best film (ranking behind The Third Man,The Stars Look Down, Outcast of the Islands, Night Train to Munich), but it impressively displays Reed's command of image and atmosphere.

We're all mortally wounded and left to wander the night streets trying to find our way back.

The film is essentially an all night odyssey as Mason, slowly dying, tries to get to safety while encountering people who try to help, hinder or stay completely uninvolved. Mason is spectacular as the increasingly fragile and spectral presence on the border between life and death. The supporting cast, mostly pulled from Irish theater, includes Cyril Cusack, William Hartnell and Robert Newton.

531

An tale of two movies. When the film is outdoors, it's fantastic, with some of the best noir photography and mood I've ever seen, but more often than not when it's inside it drags and can get a bit boring. There are some great scenes--the ending, the lineup of portraits, and there's enough good going on that it's well worth the watch, but it's certainly no The Third Man (but what is?). I think this could have been an absolute classic with 20-30 minutes cut.

The slow build from standard thriller to philosophical/spiritual contemplation is surprising in the best of ways. And maybe the entire run time was needed to make the transition believable. However, despite the beautiful b&w photography and the engaging camera moves, the film drags a bit by the end. Trimming a bit of the fat would have made this film a real powerhouse. As it is, it stands as an enjoyable and thought-provoking meditation on the centrality of love.

Wonderfully thought provoking! What is our common or particular duty towards justice or mercy? What good is right thinking without practical love? Does a criminal who has hurt another deserve to be helped? Does helping others for our own gain bring honor or shame? Is freedom worth dying for? All of these great questions illustrated with excellence thanks to a great cast and Carol Reed's direction.

Reed's films cannot help but be measured against the great Third Man. This doesn't quite compare, but it's still good. At it's best, it presents the audience with the various conflicting reactions to an incendiary figure - vicious opportunists vie with fanatic followers, while humble folk try to sort out all the confusing implications. These conflicts get a little belabored, though (esp. drunk painter). Mason is fine, but his character's ambiguity often verges on blank emptiness of character.

#500

I wish I liked this more; it's clearly a predecessor to Reed's "Third Man", but the latter is definitely the better film. B/W cinematography is breathtaking and it's portrayal of Belfast is cold, rainy, muddy and utterly hopeless. Only way to make it tolerable seems to be to keep yourself drunk. The film is just too long, a bit unfocused and keeping the main character passive and miserable during the film makes it even heavier to watch. The ending is inevitable, but it still packs a punch.