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The Big Heat
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The Big Heat | — | — |
Genre | Drama Classic, Suspense |
Format | NTSC, Closed-captioned, Multiple Formats, Black & White, Dubbed, Subtitled |
Contributor | Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Edith Evanson, Michael Granger, Sydney Boehm, Jocelyn Brando, Peter Whitney, Adam Williams, Robert Burton, Chris Alcaide, Ric Roman, Dorothy Green, Dan Seymour, Willis Bouchey, Lee Marvin, William P. McGivern, Howard Wendell, Jeanette Nolan, Fritz Lang, Alexander Scourby, Carolyn Jones See more |
Language | English |
Runtime | 1 hour and 30 minutes |
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Product Description
Ruthless criminals, a dedicated honest cop, sultry women and a gripping plot...all the elements of a classic police action-drama are here in full force. Police Sergeant Bannion (Glenn Ford) is investigating the apparent suicide of a corrupt cop, then is suddenly ordered to stop and THE BIG HEAT is on. Driven to unravel the mystery, Bannion continues probing until an explosion meant for him, killshis wife. He resigns from the force and soon learns that behind it all is the powerful underworld led by Mike Lagana (Alexander Scourby) and his cold-blooded henchman, Vince Stone (Lee Marvin). When Stone's girl Debby (Gloria Grahame) makes a play for Bannion, Stone disfigures her face. In revenge,she tells all she knows. Ultimately, Bannion and Stone square off in a life-or-death confrontation.
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 1.33:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 0.57 x 5.44 x 7.55 inches; 4 ounces
- Item model number : 6532
- Director : Fritz Lang
- Media Format : NTSC, Closed-captioned, Multiple Formats, Black & White, Dubbed, Subtitled
- Run time : 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Release date : December 18, 2001
- Actors : Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Jocelyn Brando, Alexander Scourby, Lee Marvin
- Dubbed: : French
- Subtitles: : English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Thai
- Language : Unqualified
- Studio : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- ASIN : B00005RDRL
- Writers : William P. McGivern, Sydney Boehm
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #85,866 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #4,401 in Mystery & Thrillers (Movies & TV)
- Customer Reviews:
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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Again and again nicely and not so nicely people try to warn Bannion off his investigations, with people talking to Bannion about Lagana and his cronies sometimes ending up dead. Not taking no for answer, with the blessing of his wife, even risking his job in order to do the right thing, Bannion persists. Unfortunately for Bannion, the bad guys start playing really dirty, with even Bannion’s family not immune.
I really liked the character of Debby Marsh (played by Gloria Grahame), girlfriend of Lagana’s second in command Vince Stone (played by Lee Marvin, great to see). She had a real character arc and went from one of many characters to almost the main character of the film, showing considerable growth. Really nicely done character, I was dubious about her at first but she became my favorite character.
Ford did a great job and all around the film is well done. It is interesting that Ford’s character isn’t always nice, that while he is undeniably uncorruptible and detests crime, he has a violent side to him he tries to hide, that his wife and child bring out the best in him but not far below the surface is an angry man who would like to beat the stuffing out of criminals (not that they don’t deserve it in the film, as there are several murderers). He isn’t always likeable but he knows he isn’t likable and tries to be better, to do better. Also he is dangerous to know, as just about anyone connected with him in the film has at the very least a challenging time (if they don’t end up dead).
There is good pace, a great gunfight (one of the better ones I have seen in film noir), excellent supporting cast, the picture to me was extremely crisp, wonderful story arc for the femme fatale, just all around a great film noir.
There have been so many attempt to make films where the point of the revenge story is to have the audience in a morally acceptable blood lust. What i mean by this is in our society if a member of ones family is killed it is automatically accepted for a family member to seek revenge. 9 out of 10 times this is never pulled off convincingly. Fritz Lang brilliantly does it knowing he is making an American film. Instead of doing the crazy violent ending he makes the whole film super gritty and intense leaving the ending mild so as to make it pass as a major release and to not upset a commercial audience too much.
Glenn Ford steals the show leaving Lee Marvin's role surprisingly underwhelming compared to Ford. Ford is more badass than Dirty Harry or Bogart in this film, seriously.
I am a big fan of the movie Gilda but always did not really like Fords character. This film shows his wide range of acting making this character totally different from the semi creepy character in Gilda. In the club scene they play the theme song from Gilda in the background as a cameo.
The only other element that is better than Ford performance is the dialogue.
The dialogue is 5 stars and i feel it doesn't get any better than this. It is some of the best writing in film noir history. Almost every line is a gem. There are tons of 1 liners. There is one great retro unintentionally funny scene. What i mean by retro unintentionally--i something that can't escape being dated such as the party scene in Sunset Blvd where Holden is waiting for the phone. In this film there is a club that is frequented. During a scene in this club there is a band with like 4 old men that consists of heavy accordion jamming and like a banjo etc- very acoustic instruments. The lady Banon is talking to makes a comment on the band being very loud and can they go in another room-- I am paraphrasing but it is funny that she was emphasizing that the music was intense and loud-- the band is like jamming polka music. I love that scene though and it does not effect the serous tone of the film.
I love this film it is a masterpiece.
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2018
There have been so many attempt to make films where the point of the revenge story is to have the audience in a morally acceptable blood lust. What i mean by this is in our society if a member of ones family is killed it is automatically accepted for a family member to seek revenge. 9 out of 10 times this is never pulled off convincingly. Fritz Lang brilliantly does it knowing he is making an American film. Instead of doing the crazy violent ending he makes the whole film super gritty and intense leaving the ending mild so as to make it pass as a major release and to not upset a commercial audience too much.
Glenn Ford steals the show leaving Lee Marvin's role surprisingly underwhelming compared to Ford. Ford is more badass than Dirty Harry or Bogart in this film, seriously.
I am a big fan of the movie Gilda but always did not really like Fords character. This film shows his wide range of acting making this character totally different from the semi creepy character in Gilda. In the club scene they play the theme song from Gilda in the background as a cameo.
The only other element that is better than Ford performance is the dialogue.
The dialogue is 5 stars and i feel it doesn't get any better than this. It is some of the best writing in film noir history. Almost every line is a gem. There are tons of 1 liners. There is one great retro unintentionally funny scene. What i mean by retro unintentionally--i something that can't escape being dated such as the party scene in Sunset Blvd where Holden is waiting for the phone. In this film there is a club that is frequented. During a scene in this club there is a band with like 4 old men that consists of heavy accordion jamming and like a banjo etc- very acoustic instruments. The lady Banon is talking to makes a comment on the band being very loud and can they go in another room-- I am paraphrasing but it is funny that she was emphasizing that the music was intense and loud-- the band is like jamming polka music. I love that scene though and it does not effect the serous tone of the film.
I love this film it is a masterpiece.
Top reviews from other countries
1953 drehte Fritz Lang, der lange vor Alfred Hitchcock in Hollywood als Meister des dunklen Schreckens galt, mit „The Big Heat“ einen seiner letzten wirklich großen Filme, der – bis zum obligatorisch glücklichen Ende – von einem tiefen Pessimismus durchzogen ist, wie man ihn auch bei Lang selten in dieser Form zu Gesicht bekommt.
„The Big Heat“ erzählt die Geschichte des Polizisten Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford), der den Selbstmord eines Kollegen untersucht und dabei von der Bardame Lucy Chapman (Dorothy Green) auf einige Ungereimtheiten in der Geschichte der Witwe, Mrs. Duncan (Jeanette Nolan) hingewiesen wird. Daß Lucy recht hat, weiß der Zuschauer längst, denn er wurde Zeuge, wie nach Duncans Selbstmord seine Witwe ein Dossier mit belastenden Unterlagen gegen den Gangster Lagana (Alexander Scourby), das für die Polizei bestimmt war, unterschlug und sich mit Lagana diesbezüglich in Verbindung setzte. Doch auch Bannion weiß schnell, daß er einer heißen Spur folgt, denn kurz nach ihrer Unterredung mit ihm wird Lucy Chapman Opfer eines brutalen Mordes. Allerdings verbieten ihm seine Vorgesetzten, Kommissar Higgins (Howard Wendell) und der um seine Pension besorgte Lieutenant Wilks (Willy Bouchey), weiter gegen Lagana und die Witwe Duncan zu ermitteln. Trotzdem leistet sich Bannion eine Konfrontation mit Lagana in dessen Haus, woraufhin der Gangsterboß seinen psychopathischen Handlanger Vince Stone (Lee Marvin) freie Hand gibt, den unbequemen Cop auszuschalten. Der für Bannion bestimmten Autobombe fällt allerdings dessen Ehefrau Katie (Jocelyn Brando) zum Opfer, und von Stund‘ an sinnt Bannion nur noch auf Rache an den Mördern seiner Frau, wobei ihn auch seine Suspendierung vom Dienst nicht weiter anficht, denn seine Waffe hat er sich, wie er Kommissar Higgins kalt entgegenschleudert, selbst gekauft. Während seiner Jagd auf Lagana und dessen Syndikat soll er bald Unterstützung von unerwarteter Seite bekommen, denn Debby Marsh (Gloria Grahame), Stones Gespielin, ist von dem unbeugsamen Auftreten Bannions, der ganz anders ist, als ihr brutaler, aber vor seinem Chef kuschender Geliebter, fasziniert.
„The Big Heat“ beginnt bereits mit einem Donnerschlag, wenn wir in Großaufnahme einen Revolver auf einem Schreibtisch liegen sehen, der dann von einer Hand aufgenommen wird. Im nächsten Moment hören wir einen Schuß, und ein Knopf knallt auf die Schreibtischplatte. Dieses Tempo und diese Brutalität wird Langs Film beibehalten, und einer der Höhepunkte in Sachen Gewalt dürfte wohl die Szene sein, in der Lang – vielleicht inspiriert durch einen ähnlichen Ausbruch in Anthony Manns Film „Raw Deal“ (1948)? – Stone seiner Geliebten heißen Kaffee ins Gesicht gießen und sie dadurch entstellen läßt. Seine eigentliche Düsternis allerdings bezieht der Film nicht so sehr aus dieser ungezügelten Gewalt, sondern aus zwei anderen Quellen: Da ist zunächst einmal die ausgesprochen pessimistische Weltsicht in „The Big Heat“: Lagana hat es mit seinen Verbrechen zu einem solchen Reichtum und Einfluß gebracht, daß er geradezu unantastbar ist, denn selbst der Polizeichef – wir sehen ihn später beim Pokern in der Wohnung Stones – pflegt freundschaftliche Beziehungen zu ihm und versucht zu verhindern, daß Bannion die Ermittlungen gegen Lagana vorantreibt. Auch Bannions unmittelbarer Vorgesetzter, der kurz vor der Pensionierung stehende Lieutenant Wilks, spielt Higgins‘ Spiel mit – aus Angst, seine Pensionsansprüche zu verlieren. So wird die Polizei nicht etwa dazu angehalten, Lagana die Hölle heißzumachen, sondern die Beamten sehen sich dazu verdonnert, Tag und Nacht das Haus des Gangstergranden zu bewachen, was ein Polizist lakonisch mit den Worten, er tue eben, was man ihm sage, und stelle weiter keine Fragen, bringt, aber Bannion zu der bitteren Schlußfolgerung veranlaßt, daß diese Bewachung den Steuerzahler täglich 100 Dollar koste. Wir sehen schon, in „The Big Heat“ ist das Verbrechen längst gesellschaftsfähig geworden. Im letzten Drittel des Filmes allerdings wird dieser Pessimismus aufgelöst, wenn Wilks – bezeichnenderweise, nachdem ihm seine Frau [1] gehörig für sein Verhalten den Kopf gewaschen hat – sich doch noch auf Bannions Seite schlägt und das Gesetz vertritt. Die zweite Quelle, aus der „The Big Heat“ seine Dunkelheit bezieht, ist der Charakter des Protagonisten, der anfangs noch aus reiner Überzeugung handelt, nach dem Tod seiner Frau aber zu einem verbitterten und zu allem bereiten Einzelgänger wird. Visualisiert wird diese Wandlung in einer Szene, in der wir Bannion bei der Auflösung seiner Wohnung – er wird seine kleine Tochter zu seinem Schwager geben und in ein Hotel einziehen, was für seine Wurzellosigkeit steht – sehen. Der Gegensatz zwischen der vorher liebevoll eingerichteten Wohnung, die so voller Leben war, und den nun kahlen und unpersönlichen Räumlichkeiten, aus denen Bannion am Ende auch den Puppenwagen seiner Tochter entfernen wird – nur das verhängnisvolle Telefon steht noch auf dem Boden – verdeutlicht vortrefflich, wie sehr sich Bannion durch die Trauer um seine Frau von seiner Umgebung entfremdet hat. Der von Ford hier verkörperte Typus des innerlich gebrochenen, verbitterten und unberechenbaren Helden wurde übrigens zur gleichen Zeit von Anthony Mann und James Stewart sehr erfolgreich benutzt, um frischen Wind in den Western zu bringen. Hier verleiht er „The Big Heat“ atemberaubende Noir-Qualität.
Lang gelingt es darüber hinaus aber auch, in „The Big Heat“ interessante Frauenfiguren zu erschaffen. Zwar mag Katie Bannion als die in diesem Genre so häufig anzutreffende treusorgende und aufopferungsvolle Gattin erscheinen – neben der „bösen“ Ehefrau, die ein falsches Spiel spielt, und die in diesem Film natürlich auch nicht fehlt –, doch gelingt es Jocelyn Brando durchaus, diese eigentlich eher langweilige Figur als sehr sympathisch und frisch darzustellen, und wir sind wirklich geschockt – wenngleich nicht sehr überrascht [2] –, wenn sie plötzlich stirbt. Faszinierender bleibt hingegen allemal die Figur der Debbie Marsh – wie auch die sie verkörpernde Schauspielerin Gloria Grahame, die wir leider nicht in vielen herausragenden Filmen bewundern dürfen, obwohl sie dies verdient hätte. Debbie gibt der Femme fatale, die doch so oft als genuin verworfen und destruktiv gezeichnet wird, einen nachvollziehbaren Hintergrund, wenn sie sagt: „The main thing is to have the money. I’ve been rich, and I’ve been poor. Believe me: Rich is better.“ Als sie schließlich der habgierigen und berechnenden Witwe Duncan gegenübersteht, tragen die zwei Frauen beinahe die gleichen Nerzmäntel, was Debbie zu der Beobachtung, sie seien beide “sisters under the mink“, Anlaß gibt. Hier mag ihr bewußt werden, wohin sie ihre rein materialistische Haltung bringen könnte, und sie erkennt in der skrupellosen Mrs. Duncan eine noch extremere Version von sich selbst, bevor sie ihr – aus Rachsucht oder um Bannion zu helfen? – eine tödliche Kugel verpaßt und auf diese Weise das gesamte Syndikat Laganas zu Fall bringt. Die Ambivalenz ihres Charakters – hier die Frau, die sich von einem Gangster aushalten läßt; dort die Frau, die sich von der rechtschaffenen Unbeugsamkeit Bannions angezogen fühlt – unterstreicht der Film dadurch, daß die Hälfte ihres Gesichts entstellt wird, und als Janusköpfige bereitet sie der Herrschaft Laganas ein Ende – denn Mrs. Duncan hat das belastende Dossier ihrem Notar übergeben und diesen angewiesen, es bei ihrem Tod an die Öffentlichkeit zu bringen – und schenkt Bannion eben dadurch die Möglichkeit eines neuen Anfangs. Bezeichnenderweise verdeckt der Protagonist der Sterbenden mit ihrer Kleidung den entstellten Teil ihres Gesichts, so daß am Ende kein Zweifel daran bleibt, welcher Teil von ihr schließlich obsiegt hat.
Doch auch abgesehen von der starken weiblichen Nebenfigur zelebriert „The Big Heat“ den Mut und die Durchsetzungskraft anständiger Frauen. So wird, wie oben bereits erwähnt, Lieutenant Wilks durch seine Frau daran erinnert, wofür er als Polizist eigentlich steht, und während ein feister Werkstattbesitzer aus Angst um seine Familie sich weigert, Bannion einen entscheidenden Hinweis zu geben, ist es eine unscheinbare und gehbehinderte ältere Schreibkraft, die sich ein Herz faßt, ihre Stellung aufs Spiel setzt und Bannion die gewünschten Informationen verschafft.
„The Big Heat“ ist ein großartiger Vertreter des Films noirs, auch wenn die typische dräuende Noir-Atmosphäre vieler anderer Studio-Langs hier eher einem actiongeladeneren Ansatz weicht. Wie immer bei Lang, sind es aber auch vor allem die gelungenen Charakterzeichnungen, die diesen Film so faszinierend wirken lassen.
Ich habe „The Big Heat“ auf der Grundlage des UK-Imports rezensiert, der den Film in einer ordentlichen Bildqualität bietet. Er enthält – neben Englisch, Italienisch, Spanisch und Französisch – auch eine deutsche Tonspur. Ferner gibt es entsprechende Untertitel. Eine ganz kurze Szene fehlt in der deutschen Synchronisation, so daß hier der Ton ins Englische umspringt.
[1] Hier wird eine Parallele zu Bannions eigener Frau angedeutet, die ihren Mann in seinem idealistischen und unbeugsamen Festhalten an Recht und Gesetz bestärkte – auch wenn er dadurch mit dienstlichen Konsequenzen zu rechnen habe. Nebenbei bemerkt, sind die ehelichen Szenen zwischen Bannion und seiner Frau aus heutiger Sicht zwar ein wenig hausbacken, doch sie stellen ein herzerwärmendes Familienglück dar und bringen mit Katie (und ihrer Marotte, von der Zigarette ihres Mannes zu ziehen und von seinem Bier zu trinken) eine liebevolle und auch eigensinnige Ehefrau auf die Leinwand – etwas, das man im Noir-Genre vergleichsweise selten sieht.
[2] Was soll in einem Film noir oder einem Krimi schon anderes passieren, wenn der Ehemann seiner Frau den Zündschlüssel für sein Fahrzeug zuwirft, nachdem diese ihn ausdrücklich darum gebeten hat?
Matching the incision of the narrative drive is the superb mise-en-scene which Lang deploys to delineate the differences between the corrupt immoral world of Lagana and the upright moral world of Bannion. Ingeniously, Lang paints immorality as a positive - Lagana's impressive mansion, the Duncans' well-appointed house, Vince's stylish penthouse suite and the chic jazz bar named 'The Retreat'. There's nothing menacing or sinister about any of these bright well-lit locations. Lang reserves seediness for the world of the honest people - the police bureau and especially Bannion's home. In the film corruption is seen as all-pervasive and because corruption is in place all the way up to the police commissioner (who plays poker with Stone!) Bannion's investigation amounts to a criminal activity which everyone wants to see quashed. In the world of the bad, it is a crime to be good - it's possible Lang thought he had captured the very essence of American society here! At any rate, the sophisticated facade of respectability does sucker in Bannion at first. It needs a dirty phone call to his wife and a bomb to really turn him into a rogue cop fighting against the system.
One of the many interesting things about the film is the fact that Lang was working from a script already in place and many of the key sequences were written by Boehm, not Lang. This means that many things are in the film which we don't find in other Lang films. The Bannion marriage (Jocelyn Brando - sister of Marlon - playing much better than many claim) is depicted as a warm positive - other Lang films show marriage to be anything but. Also the character of Bannion himself is an out-and-out hero who actually defeats the destiny machine (the organized crime depicted in the film) and leaves the film with society changed for the good. No other Lang 'hero' is so upright and morally 'clean'. There is a warmth to the picture which is absent from much of his other work. Note the way Bannion solves the investigation courtesy of people helping him (the old lady at the demolition yard, his old war buddies who protect his daughter, even his old partner and boss who eventually change their hearts) and there is a very real sense of a tragic man who has lost his life and his home (the sequence in his empty house), but who regains interest in life through the actions of a woman who yearns for the domestic joys which have always elluded her. The last scene of Debbie dying in Bannion's arms while he tells her about his wife is deeply moving in a sentimental manner rare in Lang.
And yet, master film-maker as Lang was, we have to acknowledge the extent to which he changed Boehm's script to something more starkly Langian. Most obvious is Lang's insertion of extra violence such as Stone stubbing the girl in the bar with his cigarette. Then there is the ending of the film which Lang completely re-wrote. Boehm originally had Lagana kill Mrs Duncan so that with Debbie free of guilt she was allowed a happy ending with wedding bells ringing in the distance for her and Bannion! Lang makes Bannion into a harder, colder character. One reading of the film would be that 'Bannion the rogue cop out to bring the system down' actually achieves nothing himself. He brings down Lagana by using Debbie instead. We musn't ignore Debbie's own motivation for shooting Mrs Duncan (which is clearly there in the script), but she is used by Bannion nevertheless. She dies in the process, as do all the women in the film who associate with Bannion. Something in Bannion seems to die along with his wife and every time a character tries to help him, he simply brushes them aside with some kind of acid comment (Debbie receives the brunt of this). The clincher for me is when he throws the gun on the bed for Debbie to (presumably) protect herself. Actually he is asking her (consciously? sub-consciously?) to go ahead and kill Mrs Duncan for him.
And let's not get carried away by the film's 'positive' ending. In the coda, life goes on at the police bureau meaning that 'the big heat' brought down by Bannion on organized crime hasn't entirely cleaned things up. Bannion's last action is to answer yet another phone call which might set everything up all over again, an added chaser being to order the coffee be kept heated up as he leaves - this in a film where we know exactly how dangerous that beverage can be!!
As you can tell, I think the film is a masterpiece - it never dulls with repeated viewings. The script and direction are so good that the acting just falls perfectly into place. Gloria Grahame has received most of the plaudits from the critics, but for me it is Glenn Ford who delivers the film's greatest performance. It's a masterpiece of non-performance in which the mechanics of the acting craft utterly disappear. The DVD itself is a model of its kind. Released by Columbia, the images are as crisp and as steely hard as one could wish for - a welcome change from the usual poor state of available transfers of Lang's other American films. Now if only Fury (1936), You Only Live Once (1937), Scarlet Street (1945), House by the River (1950) and The Blue Gardenia (1951) could receive the same treatment...
Glenn Ford now looks like one of the most quietly powerful actors of Hollywood`s `Golden Age`, and it was taut performances like this one that made him such big box office for so long. He had a rare ability to portray a kind of slow-burn tension, here a homely family man who is also perhaps an eternal loner, and who may well be hiding a few unexorcised demons. He has reason enough for the cold rage Ford does so well by the second half of this relentless thriller. It`s a deftly masterful performance.
Lee Marvin gives notice of how natural he could be, as well as how smilingly vicious. Then there`s the notorious pot of scalding coffee...
Gloria Grahame was born for roles like this one, both tough and vulnerable, the ultimate tragic moll. She`s terrific here, almost as if she were in her own world, in a film of her own devising.
Alexander Scourby, a suave, beautifully spoken actor better known in the US than here, is slickly superb as the mobster kingpin, with Adam Williams (later to turn up as a similarly slimy baddie in Hitchcock`s North By Northwest) good as one of his lowly minions, a big baby-faced heel you just know won`t make it to the final reel.
Twenty-two year-old Carolyn (Morticia Addams) Jones, in her sixth film, has a brief but effective scene getting mauled by Marvin in a bar.
If you like film noir, if you are a Ford fan, if you appreciate any chance to watch Grahame, and if you revere Marvin, then you`ll want to see this dark and seedy movie.
This is a film I watch at least once a year, and it never fails to entertain. One of the great dark thrillers to make it out of post-war Hollywood.
Highly recommended.