Twilight Time seems to be answering the hopes of film noire
collectors this month with two releases in the genre, WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS
and this film. Released earlier by the company it’s back once more. Fans will
want to order early on this one since they are once again releasing the film in
their usual 3,000 copies only format.
If you’ve never seen the film (and even as a film buff this
was my first time) it tells the story of Det. Dave Banion (Glenn Ford), a true
blue policeman working in a corrupt town where politicians rub shoulders with
some of the worst criminals out there. When a police officer from records
commits suicide everyone is ready to close the books on the case. But a tip
leads Banion to look deeper and discover that it might not have been that
simple.
As he digs deeper into what motivated the man to kill
himself, Banion begins to find himself at odds with Mike Lagana (Alexander
Scourby), a top level hood who pulls strings in this city, including those of
the police commissioner. The two find themselves at odds with Banion making
threats to a calm Lagana. Only when he leaves Lagana’s home does Lagana set
about an end to Banion’s investigation.
Glimpses into the idyllic home life of Banion with his wife
and young daughter were shown early on in the film. His closeness and love of
family on display. As he begins to tell his daughter a bed time story while his
wife goes to the store he hears an explosion and goes outside to find his car
in flames and his wife dead. Banion now is a man on a mission, unwilling to
allow anyone to stand in his way.
Along the way Banion finds an ally in the form of Debby
Marsh (Gloria Grahame), the girlfriend of Vince Stone (Lee Marvin). Stone is
the right hand man of Lagana, an up and coming soldier who has his own team
there to take on problems when they rise. It was Stone who was responsible for
the death of Banion’s wife and Debby helps direct Banion in his direction. But
at what cost? Will she make it out of this mess alive? Will Banion be able to
put an end to Lagana? Or will Lagana’s ties to the city officials result in
Banion taking on an impossible task?
Moments in the film seem a bit hokey for younger film
viewers but will be ignored by us older folks out there. We remember movies
made like this and think nothing of it. Banion’s home life seems quaint but it
also sets the stage for his eventual conversion into a tool for vengeance. It
has you rooting for him to succeed and take on not just the bad guy but the
whole system that seems rigged to allow these criminals to flourish.
The film has an amazing look to it, no doubt because of the
director, Fritz Lang. Long heralded as a master of German Expressionism in
film, Lang brought a look to his pictures that made use of the black and white
format rather than finding it a hindrance. The movie looks fantastic from start
to finish. While it was noted for its seemingly cold attitude towards violence
(the death of Banion’s wife must have startled film goers at the time as well
as a brutal act Marvin’s character does to Grahame’s) the movie will seem tame
by today’s standards. Still, for some it remains disturbing.
Twilight Time (it seems like I always say this but it’s
true) has done an amazing job with the transfer here. The black and white
images seem so sharp and clear and enjoyable. They also have more extras than
usual here including the usual isolated score track and original theatrical
trailer, but also an audio commentary track with film historians Lem Dobbs,
Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman as well as two short discussions on the film by
directors Michael Mann and Martin Scorsese.
As I stated, the movie is being reissued by Twilight Time
again in an encore edition having sold out their original release of the
blu-ray. Limited to only 3,000 copies it would be advisable for fans of the
genre or of great classic movies to order their copy today. This would make a
great addition to any serious film collector’s library.
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