Force of Evil
| Force of Evil | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Abraham Polonsky |
| Produced by | Bob Roberts |
| Written by | Story: Ira Wolfert Screenplay: Abraham Polonsky Ira Wolfert |
| Starring | John Garfield Thomas Gomez Marie Windsor |
| Music by | David Raksin |
| Cinematography | George Barnes |
| Editing by | Art Seid |
| Studio | The Enterprise Studios |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | December 25, 1948 (United States) |
| Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Force of Evil is a 1948 film noir directed by Abraham Polonsky who had already achieved a name for himself as a scriptwriter, most notably for the gritty boxing film Body and Soul (1947). Like Body and Soul, the film starred John Garfield. The film was adapted by Abraham Polonsky and Ira Wolfert from Wolfert's novel Tucker's People.[1]
In 1994, Force of Evil was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
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[edit] Plot
The drama tells of a lawyer, Joe Morse (Garfield), working for a powerful gangster, Tucker, who wishes to consolidate and control the numbers racket in New York. This means assuming control of the many smaller numbers rackets, one of which is run by Morse’s older brother Leo Morse (Thomas Gomez). The plot which unfolds is a terse, melodramatic thriller notable for realist location photography, almost poetic dialogue and frequent biblical allusions (Cain and Abel, Judas's betrayal, stigmata).
[edit] Cast
- John Garfield as Joe Morse
- Beatrice Pearson as Doris Lowry
- Thomas Gomez as Leo Morse
- Marie Windsor as Edna Tucker
- Howland Chamberlain as Freddie Bauer
- Roy Roberts as Ben Tucker
- Paul Fix as Bill Ficco
- Stanley Prager as Wally
- Barry Kelley as Det. Egan
- Beau Bridges as Frankie Tucker (uncredited)
[edit] Critical reception
When the film was released, the staff at Variety gave the film a mixed review:
"Force of Evil fails to develop the excitement hinted at in the title. Makers apparently couldn't decide on the best way to present an expose of the numbers racket, winding up with neither fish nor fowl as far as hard-hitting racketeer meller is concerned. A poetic, almost allegorical, interpretation keeps intruding on the tougher elements of the plot. This factor adds no distinction and only makes the going tougher...Garfield, as to be expected, comes through with a performance that gets everything out of the material furnished...On the technical side, the production fares better than story-wise. The physical mounting is expertly valued; the New York locale shots give authenticity; and lensing by George Barnes, while a bit on the arty side, displays skilled craftsmanship.[2]
Bosley Crowther, the film critic for The New York Times, liked the film: "But for all its unpleasant nature, it must be said that this film is a dynamic crime-and-punishment drama, brilliantly and broadly realized. Out of material and ideas that have been worked over time after time, so that they've long since become stale and hackneyed, it gathers suspense and dread, a genuine feeling of the bleakness of crime and a terrible sense of doom. And it catches in eloquent tatters of on-the-wing dialogue moving intimations of the pathos of hopeful lives gone wrong."[3]
Over the years, Force of Evil has been recognized as a masterpiece of the film noir genre, powerful in its poetic images and language, by film critics and historians such as William S. Pechter and Andrew Dickos. Its influence has been acknowledged many times by Martin Scorsese in the making of his crime dramas.
[edit] Honors
American Film Institute Lists
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies - Nominated[4]
- AFI's 10 Top 10 - Nominated Gangster Film[5]
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[edit] References
- ^ Force of Evil at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Variety. Film review, December 25, 1948. Last accessed: February 11, 2010."
- ^ Crowther, Bosley. The New York Times, film review, December 27, 1948. Last accessed: February 11, 2010.
- ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies Nominees
- ^ AFI's 10 Top 10 Ballot
[edit] External links
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Force of Evil |
- Force of Evil at the Internet Movie Database
- Force of Evil at the TCM Movie Database
- Force of Evil analysis of film by Sydney Pollack at TCM Video
