Classic , tough noir cinema with a terrific performance by a magnificent plethora of main and supporting actors .This vintage noir film results to be a tense , intriguing study of a robbery , it contains suspense , action , sharp-edged thrilling scenes , excellent interpretation and being slickly narrated in original way . A major heist goes off as planned , ¨Mister Big¨ launches a complex hold-up , gathering a gang (Lee Van Cleef , Neville Brand , Jack Elam) to pull it off and as a dis-gruntled ex-convict (John Payne) gets arrested for the crime on circumstancial evidence and subsequently framed . As the unfortunate , innocent ex-con attempting to go straight is accused for a million dollar armored car robbery . When he's ultimatelly released for lack of evidence, after having been worked-over by the police , he sets out to investigate who set him up , and the reason for it . He must go to Mexico in order to unmask the real culprits . At the end bad luck and double crosses cause everything to unravel . The picture that hits with Bullet Force and Black Jack fury! .The true solution to his shocking crime still hasn't been entered on police records !! Exploding! Like a gun in your face! Every city wears a mask! This is the picture that goes behind that mask to bare the bullet-scarred face of a brutal underworld!....
This is a nail-biting study of a heist in which a distressed ex-convict is accused and when released he scours the underworld for the actual thieves ; dealing with the plotting and the gathering of a misfit band that sours , building hard-hitting action , suspense , intrigue , emotion in Crescendo for any unexpected surprises that might pop up . Plenty of excellent characterization with a motley group of roles , such as a web of hired thugs and a corrupt cop on the wrong side of the law and being tautly made , resulting one of the greatest crime movies of the Fifties . The picture is well paced with an electric current that never let up . John Payne gives a nice acting as a down-on-his-luck ex-G.I. finds himself framed for an armored car robbery . The movie has a perfect thematic unity in similar style other classic movies as ¨The killing¨ by Stanley Kubrick and ¨Jungle of asphalt¨by John Huston . This thrilling story is stunningly scripted in a splendid screenplay from George Bruce and Harry Essex , based on a story Harold R. Greene ; letting the audience in early on what the outcome will be and increasing in power as they scheme the path closer to their destination . A very realistic plot with ordinary people planning a suspenseful heist . The picture displays usual elements noir cinema like the fatalism and tragic fate ; loser characters , a magnificent black and white cinematography in lights and shades , among others . The main credit for this masterpiece must be shared among John Payne as as an ex-con and the extremely gorgeous Coleen Gray as his sweetheart . Furthermore , top-notch support cast , the cluster of magnificent players is formed by an awesome bunch of Hollywood's best secondary stars : Preston Foster as a mean ex-cop and especially the baddies , Jack Elam , Neville Brand and Lee Van Cleef . And adding other adequate secondaries as Dona Drake , Mario Siletti, Howard Negley , and Carleton Young . The musical scoring by Paul Sawtell is atmospheric enough , being perfectly attuned . As well as brilliant black and white cinematography by George Diskant.
The motion picture was competently directed by Phil Karlson , here he realized a riveting piece of film-making , being frequentely imitated and remade no less than three times in different styles . Phil broke a new ground with this landmark movie , providing classic scenes and unforgettable dialogs .Karlson was just hitting his stride at about this time , into a ten-year period in which he made a series of movies that are still deemed his best work . He could make adventure movies or violent and noir films . As he directed Westerns as ¨Gunman's walk¨ , ¨They rode west¨, ¨Texas rangers¨, ¨Iroquois trail¨ and Gansters genre or Noir films as ¨Phoenix city story¨,¨Scarface mob¨ and ¨Kansas City Confidential¨ . These films sometimes exposing criminal activities and actual scandals , as they remain a slice of American cinema to be remembered . Failure alternated with hits through his career , though Karlson's direction was more than successful in ¨Walking tall¨ with invaluable help of Joe Don Baker . Rating : 7.5/10 .Above average , this is one of Phil Karlson 's best films , a model of his kind , definitely a must see if you are aficionado to Noir Film . A superb cast , relentless intrigue and fascinating thriller make this one of the best crime movies ever made . Rating : Above average and highly acclaimed film .
This is a nail-biting study of a heist in which a distressed ex-convict is accused and when released he scours the underworld for the actual thieves ; dealing with the plotting and the gathering of a misfit band that sours , building hard-hitting action , suspense , intrigue , emotion in Crescendo for any unexpected surprises that might pop up . Plenty of excellent characterization with a motley group of roles , such as a web of hired thugs and a corrupt cop on the wrong side of the law and being tautly made , resulting one of the greatest crime movies of the Fifties . The picture is well paced with an electric current that never let up . John Payne gives a nice acting as a down-on-his-luck ex-G.I. finds himself framed for an armored car robbery . The movie has a perfect thematic unity in similar style other classic movies as ¨The killing¨ by Stanley Kubrick and ¨Jungle of asphalt¨by John Huston . This thrilling story is stunningly scripted in a splendid screenplay from George Bruce and Harry Essex , based on a story Harold R. Greene ; letting the audience in early on what the outcome will be and increasing in power as they scheme the path closer to their destination . A very realistic plot with ordinary people planning a suspenseful heist . The picture displays usual elements noir cinema like the fatalism and tragic fate ; loser characters , a magnificent black and white cinematography in lights and shades , among others . The main credit for this masterpiece must be shared among John Payne as as an ex-con and the extremely gorgeous Coleen Gray as his sweetheart . Furthermore , top-notch support cast , the cluster of magnificent players is formed by an awesome bunch of Hollywood's best secondary stars : Preston Foster as a mean ex-cop and especially the baddies , Jack Elam , Neville Brand and Lee Van Cleef . And adding other adequate secondaries as Dona Drake , Mario Siletti, Howard Negley , and Carleton Young . The musical scoring by Paul Sawtell is atmospheric enough , being perfectly attuned . As well as brilliant black and white cinematography by George Diskant.
The motion picture was competently directed by Phil Karlson , here he realized a riveting piece of film-making , being frequentely imitated and remade no less than three times in different styles . Phil broke a new ground with this landmark movie , providing classic scenes and unforgettable dialogs .Karlson was just hitting his stride at about this time , into a ten-year period in which he made a series of movies that are still deemed his best work . He could make adventure movies or violent and noir films . As he directed Westerns as ¨Gunman's walk¨ , ¨They rode west¨, ¨Texas rangers¨, ¨Iroquois trail¨ and Gansters genre or Noir films as ¨Phoenix city story¨,¨Scarface mob¨ and ¨Kansas City Confidential¨ . These films sometimes exposing criminal activities and actual scandals , as they remain a slice of American cinema to be remembered . Failure alternated with hits through his career , though Karlson's direction was more than successful in ¨Walking tall¨ with invaluable help of Joe Don Baker . Rating : 7.5/10 .Above average , this is one of Phil Karlson 's best films , a model of his kind , definitely a must see if you are aficionado to Noir Film . A superb cast , relentless intrigue and fascinating thriller make this one of the best crime movies ever made . Rating : Above average and highly acclaimed film .