Force of Evil

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Allan C @RT15713161 Jul 6, 2026 Anti-capitalist film noir Force of Evil (1948) **** Force of Evil blends hard-boiled film noir with a sharp critique of greed and corruption, giving the genre an unusually political edge. John Garfield is excellent, and Abraham Polonsky's literate script and striking visuals make for a compelling, if occasionally uneven, crime drama. One of noir's more distinctive and thought-provoking entries. SEE LETTERBOXED FOR FULL REVIEW See more Mark H @Zeppo Oct 6, 2025 Younger Garfield better than the material. There's nothing Noir about a sleazy lawyer getting his comeuppance. See more Jesse T @Jess800 Sep 5, 2024 A decent film noir that highlights John Garfield's command of the craft. Builds slowly and doesn't hook you in like other classic film noirs, but eventually picks up in the last third that makes it worth a view. See more Peter G @Petermovielover Aug 28, 2024 Virtually ignored at the time of its release this remains one of the most quietly powerful & significant films of is decade. An unusual product for an MGM release, certainly then. I view it as one of Hollywood‘s greatest achievements as well & Garfield‘s most complex characterization. It’s a well thought out study of the corruption in the numbers rackets at the time & is notably vivid for all 75 or so minutes of its length. Others in the cast do notable work as well especially an actress named Beatrice Pearson who only appeared in one other film, as far as I know. Her sympathetic character‘s interaction Garfield‘s character is suitably complex & I would have sought out her other film portrayals if any were available. I believe she gravitated more to the theater. This superb film was Abraham Polansky‘s last film, I think, before he was blacklisted & was not able to work again as a director until some 20 years later. Reviewed by Peter Graham See more nick s @Nick_S Jul 8, 2024 Quality production. Original story idea. See more Leaburn O @RT35452347 Jan 17, 2024 Pretty bang average light gangster film from back in the day. Hard to find anything remarkable about it and imagine I'll have entirely forgotten it by next week. Found it to watch on YouTube. See more Read all reviews

Force of Evil

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