This unsparing, brutal look at the British criminal underbelly stars Richard Attenborough as Pinkie Brown, a pock-marked gang leader. While leading his men in a racetrack robbery, Pinkie kills a man. He convinces pretty waitress Rose (Carol Marsh) to provide him with an alibi, promising to marry her in exchange. After the wedding, the sociopathic Pinkie conducts a slow and careful campaign to drive his young wife to suicide. A moody, well-acted film with a stunning performance by the 24-year-old
Attenborough, Brighton Rock is notable for bringing a new vicious realism to British crime cinema. Adapted by Terrance Rattigan and Graham Greene, from Greene's novel, the screenplay is superlative. The grim realism and sordid subject matter of the film is striking, handled by twin filmmakers Roy and John Boulting, who use mood and dark, stark photography to convey an almost palpable sense of dread. The American distributor of Brighton Rock, smelling disaster with that ambivalent title, renamed the film Young Scarface, and while it was quite controversial in its day, the film can't quite recapture the impact it had upon its initial release. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The future Lord Dickie's sinister stylings are what linger, especially the vitriolic audio recording he makes for his betrothed, done as if damnation were the most casual of enterprises.
A brutal look at the British underworld -- as seen through the amoral eyes of teenaged thug Pinkie Brown, played brilliantly by the 24 year-old Attenborough.
Director John Boulting brings the fabled Greeneland, that vile landscape ripened on sin and betrayal at the black heart of all his novels, to sensuous life.
An enjoyable film, but the storyline is a little one-dimensional. I have to admit to loathing those weak women portrayed in these type of films, but is obviously a sign of it?s time. Enjoyed the ending.
A great film but I?ve always had issues with the ending. I always thought we shouldn't have ever heard Pinkie in the voice recording booth but should have found out what he said at the end. Still, that aside, the film is fantastic as are the cast but its Attenborough who steals the show as Pinkie, a villain who's up
there with Al Capone, Jaws and Satan!
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