But it has a different feel to it, and if you like those kinds of movies you need to give this a try. This sounds like a Cagney or Robinson movie from the early 1930s, I suppose, and this movie is set in the 1920s for the most part, as well. In another turn (not explained much) he starts rising up as a political and crime figure, becoming the big cheese. But then he gets drunk that first night home and things go very south. You see, Matt Brady (played brilliantly by John Payne) is a returning soldier with hopes of marriage as he marches in the opening parade. The movie begins a bit off-kilter, I think, but if you think of it as a set-up for what a normal life would have been for the main character, it's necessary. But there is, for example, no femme fatale (this is probably not a noir, strictly speaking, even if the dark crime mood makes you think so, but there are lots of noirĬharacters and attitudes). It's a good crime movie, for sure, and believable enough. Don't get me wrong, a mob boss in a small city is going to play tough and have cronies and the like. This is a movie begging to play with clichés, and it avoids them. While the acting and visuals are going to get you immediately, the script will sneak up on you if you are paying attention. This is kind of a great movie, a surprise to me, and with some stunning performances, great photography, and a sterling script (thanks to Dalton Trumbo). The film is enhanced by John Payne's persuasive performance as "The Boss." Political corruption is vividly depicted as a ruthless WWI veteran takes almost complete control of a state with the help of a crooked lawyer.
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