They Live by Night (1949)
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Synopsis: The original classic about crime, love, and rebellious youth, and the inspiration for countless films that followed in its footsteps. An escaped prisoner falls in love with a poor girl and, despite the odds against him, marries her. But the authorities relentlessly pursue these... The original classic about crime, love, and rebellious youth, and the inspiration for countless films that followed in its footsteps. An escaped prisoner falls in love with a poor girl and, despite the odds against him, marries her. But the authorities relentlessly pursue these star-crossed lovers, even as they desperately flee into the night. [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Cathy O'Donnell, Farley Granger, Howard Da Silva, Jay C. Flippen, Helen Craig
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
There's no attempt at sugarcoating a happy ending, and yarn moves towards its inevitable, tragic climax without compromise.
Passionate, lyrical, and imaginative, it's a remarkably assured debut, from the astonishing opening helicopter shot that follows the escaped convicts' car to freedom, to the final, inexorably tragic climax.
Ray's plaintive artistry lends this weepy noir a melancholic beauty.
Ray writes and directs with easy assurance, propelling the plot forward to its unbearably doomy, inevitable conclusion.
Although it -- like others -- is misguided in its sympathies for a youthful crook, this crime-and-compassion melodrama has the virtues of vigor and restraint.
Beautifully acted, They Live by Night stands today as one of the most poignant and unforgettable noirs ever made.
A key film noir of the 40s, this was Nicholas Ray's first film as a director (1949), and the freshness of his expressionist-documentary style is still apparent and gripping.
Related Forums

by: Darko, Donnie 8/4/07

Top Critic