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The Big Heat [1953]
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There's a satisfying sense of closure to the definitive noir kick achieved in The Big Heat: its director, Fritz Lang, had forged early links from German expressionism to the emergence of film noir, so it's entirely logical that the expatriate director would help codify the genre with this brutal 1953 film. Visually, his scenes exemplify the bold contrasts, deep shadows, and heightened compositions that define the look of noir, and he matches that success with the darkly pessimistic themes of this revenge melodrama. The story coheres around the suicide of a crooked cop, and the subsequent struggle of an honest detective, Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford), to navigate between a corrupt city government and a ruthless mobster to uncover the truth. Initially, the violence here seems almost timid by comparison to the more explicit carnage now commonplace in films, yet the story accelerates as its plot arcs toward Bannion's showdown with kingpin Lagana (Alexander Scourby) and his psychotic henchman, the sadistic Vince Stone, given an indelible nastiness by Lee Marvin. When Bannion's wife is killed by a car bomb intended for the detective, both the hero and the story go ballistic: suspended from the force, he embarks on a crusade of revenge that suggests a template for Charles Bronson's Death Wish films, each step pushing Lagana and Stone toward a showdown. Bodies drop, dominoes tumbled by the escalating war between the obsessed Bannion and his increasingly vicious adversaries. Lang's disciplined visual design and the performances (especially those of Ford, Marvin, Jeanette Nolan as the dead cop's scheming widow, and Gloria Grahame as Marvin's girlfriend) enable the film to transcend formula, as do several memorable action scenes--when an enraged Marvin hurls scalding coffee at the feisty Debby (Grahame), we're both shattered by the violence of his attack, and aware that he's shifted the balance of power. --Sam Sutherland
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk review
Editorial
Synopsis
"The city's being strangled by a gang of thieves"
Review date: 2007-10-29 Rating: 10 out of 10
"The big heat" (1953) is a classic film noir in black and white, directed by Fritz Lang. This movie is characterized by an intriguing plot, fast pace, and good acting, something that never gets old.
The main character is Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford), an honest cop that due to unforeseen circumstances and his need to do the right thing falls in the middle of a nightmare, losing what is dear to him. As a consequence, nothing will stand in Bannion's way in his new mission: to wreak havoc on those responsible for what destroying his life. All bets are off...
Even though "The big heat" includes some scenes with plenty of violence, this is the kind of movie that I would like to see again, because it is so good that you cannot fully appreciate it the first time around. The main character is extremely well-drawn, and you can identify with him in his quest for vengeance and justice. What is more, there are some secondary actors that do an outstanding job, specially the young woman that plays Debbie Marsh (Gloria Grahame), the beautiful girlfriend of one of the gangsters Bannion is after.
On the whole, I can say that I recommended this splendid movie, as an excellent example of what a great film noir should be like...
Belen Alcat
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Reviews
Sleaze, violence, corruption...it's great noir
Review date: 2007-08-13 Rating: 8 out of 10
When the wife of Detective Dave Banion (Glenn Ford) is killed by mistake in a mob hit aimed at him, everybody...not just the bad guys...had better look out. I like this film a lot. In particular, I like three things about it.
First, although Dave Banion may be a straight arrow good guy, a number of people get hurt or killed because of him...and he doesn't seem to care too much about these consequences. He's a hero you may not want to have too close to you. His righteousness can be unnerving.
Second, Gloria Grahame. I really like her in most of her roles, and she was great here...no better than she needed to be, funny, desirable, ultimately brave and sad. And she had an unusual face, a small chin, an upper lip that didn't move very much, but a face I liked to look at. This was one of her great roles, perhaps second only to In a Lonely Place.
Third, Lee Marvin. I've never been a great fan of his when he finally hit his stride as a leading man, but in his character roles and early leads he could sure catch your attention. He does here. You never know what he's capable of but you know it'll be bad...as Gloria Graham's character finds out. He could sure put across a sense of brutal danger. In Bad Day at Black Rock as one of Robert Ryan's two goons, Ernest Borgnine gives the impression of a guy who'd just as soon beat you to death, but Marvin gives the impression of a guy who'd just as soon beat you to death slowly.
The Big Heat is a fine movie, one of the best Fritz Lang made while he worked in Hollywood.
Gratuitous Violence - it all started with one!
Review date: 2007-01-04 Rating: 10 out of 10
Moll Debby, Gloria Grahame's character, is hideously scarred by a pot of boiling coffee thrown by her mobster boyfriend (Lee Marvin.) Censors believed this scene would open the floodgates for movie violence. If you left this scene in the movie, they figured, in years to come, there would be men getting their arms cut off with chainsaws, maybe even torture scenes involving dentistry. On this occasion, the censors were not allowed to control the final version and the scene was left in. But it's okay; the censors were not right: movie violence would remain fleeting and would never be gratuitous, would it...?
A great film noir
Review date: 2006-12-18 Rating: 10 out of 10
It took a German director to produce this great American fim noir. It isn't surprising when you find out that Lang also directed 'M'a dark study of the hunt for a serial child killer (played by Peter Lorre!) before moving to Hollywood.
Although Glenn Ford is perfectly OK as the upstanding cop who vows vengeance after his wife is killed (look out for Brando's sister in a rare screen role) it is Lee Marvin and especially the great Gloria Grahame that provide the zing.
Dark and brutal this is what film noir is all about.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Jocelyn Brando
Lee Marvin
Gloria Grahame
Glenn Ford
Alexander Scourby
Creators:
Glenn Ford (Primary Contributor)
Gloria Grahame (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
EAN: 5035822018631
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Black & White, Full Screen, PAL,
Release date: 2006-02-20
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 86 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1953
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