All Critics (25)
|
Top Critics (5)
|
Fresh (26)
|
Rotten (0)
|
DVD (11)
Ford's portrayal of the homicide sergeant is honest and packs much wallop. Lang's direction builds taut suspense, throwing unexpected, and believable, thrills at the audience.
Brutal, atmospheric, and exciting -- highly recommended.
That's the beauty of Lang's moral ambidexterity. He tells the story of a heroic cop, while using it to mask another story, so much darker, beneath.
Mr. Lang can direct a film. He has put his mind to it, in this instance, and he has brought forth a hot one with a sting.
In many ways, Fritz Lang's The Big Heat, scripted by former crime reporter Sydney Boehm, laid the groundwork not only for "Dirty Harry," but for the whole sub-genre of 'rogue cop' films that began to surface during the Vietnam era.
Fritz Lang, once the master of grand expressionist scenes, directs with a stripped down style and a lean narrative drive...
Everything about "The Big Heat" is "hard boiled."
A scalding face-full of harsh reality, courtesy Fritz Lang.
Lang presents one of the great works of film noir. The acting is first rate, Boehm's script tough and efficient, and the whole affair is photographed with the appropriate expressionist, chiaroscuro lighting.
One of Lang's most accomplished and influential noir crimers, with a top-notch turn from Glenn Ford as the avenging cop-angel, a role that Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) and Charles Bronson (Death Wish) would develop in their 1970s revenge thrillers.
Lang strips down William P McGivern's novel to essentials, giving the story a narrative drive as efficient and powerful as a handgun.
Overwhelming crime thriller, with plenty to say and brilliant storytelling
In-your-face tough cop-gangster noir yarn features gritty Glenn Ford and great Gloria Grahame.
Strong noir thriller from the great Lang in his later years.
One of Fritz Lang's very best films.
May be Lang's greatest American film.
More Critic Reviews
Top Critic
