Brighton Rock

Complex, disturbing noir character study/thriller about a 17 year old baby-faced gang leader named `Pinky, played by the director-to-be Richard Attenborough in an astonishing performance. Based on a Graham Greene novel, and co-written by Green and Terrence Rattigan (The Browning Version, The Winslow Boy), Pinky is a tremendously complex character, a sociopath to be sure, but one with a heart still beating somewhere deep down inside. Tortured by his Catholic upbringing, and repressed sexually, he vents his teen angst in violence that becomes increasingly uncontrollable, while finding his heart touched in spite of himself by a girl he marries ostensibly just to keep her from giving evidence against him. This is a tough picture, no Hollywood softened edges here. And arguably one of the better gangster films ever made.

The film seems wooden and dated, with little of the tension or mounting dread of Graham Greenes book and absolutely none of Greenes speculations on the nature of Gods mercy. It is noteworthy only for Richard Attenboroughs youthful performance as the sinister villain Pinkie Brown.

This years Film Noir Festival at the American Film Institute has an international focus, exploding the long-held belief that noir stories and styles are a specifically American phenomenon. With this goal, the festival presented this 1947 British gangster film, Brighton Rock, which the British Film Institute lists as no. 15 of the 100 best British films. Besides seeing this film on a large screen in a beautiful theater, I had the opportunity to hear a succinct introduction to the movie by the scholar of noir film, Foster Hirsch. Brighton Rock was the first film setting of a novel by Graham Greene. Greene also wrote the screenplay in collaboration with Terrence Rattigan. John Boulting directed the film, but the primary attraction is the acting by a young Richard Attenborough, 24 years old at the time of this film. Attenborough plays a lean, snarling and psychotic Pinky Brown who leads a small gang of older men in the British resort village of Brighton. Attenborough acts with a sharp coldness and a hard stare in his eyes throughout. His hands nervously twitch around a rope which could be used for a whip or a garrotte. At 17, Pinkie is already a cool hardened cynical killer with a puritan streak -- no drinks, tobacco, or drugs and little interest in sex. The convoluted plot of the film turns on a gang war between Pinkies small group and a much larger and more powerful Brighton gang for control of the races and slot machines. Pinkie rashly is attempting to muscle in. In the course of the conflict a newspaper reporter is killed and Pinkie must kill further to cover his tracks. Among his victims is an innocent young witness, a waitress named Rose, played by Carol Marsh who also gives a beautiful performance of a naïve, gullible, lonely woman who falls in love with a hard, cruel man. Pinkie marries Carol to prevent her from giving testimony against him. A third well played role in the film is given by Hermione Bradley who portrays a busy-body middle-aged woman who pursues Pinky for his crimes even while the police are ready to give up. The film has a strong noir sense with its sharply etched black-and-white cinematography. The film is set both in the amusement park area on the beach as well as in the alleys and backstreets which included old rooming houses and pubs and an aggressive criminal element. With the book and script by Greene, the film also includes a strong positive emphasis on Catholicism and on redemption, particularly in an ironic scene at the movies close. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to see Brighton Rock onscreen and to have the benefit as well of an informed commentary. Fans of noir or of gangster films or British films will enjoy this movie. Robin Friedman

THIS FILM, BLACK & WHITE NOT COLOR IS SLOW, AND QUIETLY TERRIFYING. AT FIRST WATCH, I WAS A BIT BORED. 2ND VIEWING, I SAT BACK AND JUST LET IT RUN. WOW! VERY, VERY INTENSE. GREAT BRITISH ACTING. REALLY WORTH THE PURCHASE AND 2ND VIEWING. GIVE THE FILM TIME TO DEVELOP AND GROW. THE CRASS CHARACTERS ARE EXACTLY AS THEY SEEM ONLY ITS A SLOW SIMMERING PLOT VERY RELEVANT TO EVEN, TODAY.

Great movie, dark and twisted. Would recommend to anyone wanting to experience a classic story, very well done. Great use of shadows to convey the darkness of the storyline.

really loved this classic film..I am a fan of british classics and film in general. Rare richard attenborough film. thanks, jean salatino

You will also be very tempted to fall for the very cute hard-boiled psychopath, and sometimes thats ok. However, that warm-hearted streak of hope may be better spent on rescuing a puppy or a new pair of shoes. A somewhat hilarious intensity will mount...will he, wont he? The world may never know. Neither will she! Awesome.

Stumbled on to this movie and can not believe I have not seen it before. A true classic. I cant get enough of these. The writing, characters, sets, costume, the plot is gripping and has depth.

This is a terrific film, and you cant get it on disk in the US. Read about it on allmovie.com.