Abraham Polonsky's "The Force of Evil" Blu-ray - John Garfield / Beatrice Pearson @KinoLorber
Added 2023-07-28 14:26:32 +0000 UTCBONUS CAPTURES:
Abraham Polonsky's "The Force of Evil" Blu-ray - John Garfield / Beatrice Pearson @KinoLorber
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film6/blu-ray_reviews_79/force_of_evil_blu-ray.htm
Dark and brooding, FORCE OF EVIL offers one of Garfield's greatest performances as the cynical, hard-as-nails lawyer. Pearson, in her first of only two films, doesn't really register in a role that could use Shelley Winters or Ida Lupino rather than a June Allyson clone. Her presence is more than offset, however, by Gomez's marvelous performance and that of the suitably slimy Roberts. A tour de force for gifted writer Polonsky, FORCE was the only film he directed before he was blacklisted for being an uncooperative witness before HUAC in 1951; he didn't direct another feature for 21 years. At its best, FORCE achieves a style at once brutal and poetic, documentarian and noir.
***
Abraham Polonsky's "The Force of Evil" was adapted from Wolfert's novel Tucker's People. Joe Morse (Garfield) is a lawyer who works for ganger's who are involved in the consolidation of the numbers racket in New York City which will absorb Joe's older brother Leo (Thomas Gomez) business. The script incorporates subtle biblical references to Cain and Abel. The Force of Evil has often been considered the apex of the 'dark cinema' cycle. There is some wonderful cinematography by George Barnes (The File on Thelma Jordon, Something to Live For, The War of the Worlds.) This is very strongly recommended and the Kino has a new transfer and essential Imogen Sara Smith commentary.
