The Big Heat
by Fritz Lang
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Actor: Alexander Scourby, Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Jocelyn Brando, Lee MarvinDirector: Fritz Lang
Brand: Sony
Writer: William P. McGivern
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); Chinese (Subtitled); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); Korean (Subtitled); Thai (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed)
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-12-18
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Reviews of The Big Heat
DVD Review: Nice, but not nearly noir
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Big Heat" is classic film noir, directed by none other than Fritz Lang, one of the fathers of film noir. Lang was called the "Master of Darkness" by the BFI. More than anyone else he is responsible for popularizing the German school of expressionist film, with the "Dr. Mabuse" series (1922, 1933, 1960), the revolutionary "Metropolis" (1927) and the frightening "M" (1931) which launched the career of Peter Lorre. Though he wasn't a Jew, Lang fled German in 1934 once the Nazis took over. He eventually came to the US where he made such notable films as "Fury" (1936), "The Return of Frank James" (1940), "Western Union" (1940), "Hangman Also Die" (1943), "The Woman in the Window" (1944), "Scarlet Street" (1945), and "Clash by Night" (1952). While he was never nominated for an Oscar, his work influenced the work of many directors, including Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock.
"The Big Heat" stars Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame and Lee Marvin with great supporting performances by Jeannette Nolan, Willis Bouchy and Carolyn Jones.
Quiet and handsome Glenn Ford appeared in more than 100 films from 1937 to 1991. He was nominated for a Golden Globe 3 times and won once ("Pocketful of Miracles" in 1961). Ford could do light comedy (e.g., "Teahouse of the August Moon", "Courtship of Eddie's Father", "Don't Go Near the Water") as well as drama (e.g., "Blackboard Jungle", "3:10 to Yuma"). He enjoyed playing the everyman and said that "it gives the audience someone real to identify with. I never play anyone but myself on screen." In this film Ford plays a cop out for revenge.
Lee Marvin started in films in 1951. In 1952 alone he appeared in 6 films and 5 TV shows. He got his big break in 1953 with roles in "The Big Heat" and "The Wild One" with Marlon Brando. In 1962 he did a terrific job in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", won the Oscar for his 20th film, "Cat Ballou" in 1965, and in 1967 he appeared in "Point Blank", "The Professionals" and "The Dirty Dozen". No one was better as the villain than Lee Marvin, and his role in "The Big Heat" is one of the roles that helped launched his long and illustrious career.
Gloria Grahame was one of the Queens of film noir. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for "Crossfire" (1947) with Robert Mitchum (one of the Kings of film noir), won for "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952) with Kirk Douglas, and gave memorable (if not award worthy) performances in other noirs such as "In a Lonely Place" with Humphrey Bogart, "Sudden Fear" (1952) with Joan Crawford and Jack Palance, and Fritz Lang's "Human Desire" (1954) with Glenn Ford. Grahame plays Marvin's girlfriend. Grahame says - "The main thing is to have the money. I've been rich and I've been poor. Believe me, rich is better.
Jeannette Nolan made nearly 100 films and played in nearly as many TV shows. She made her film debut with Orson Welles in "Macbeth" (1948) as Lady Macbeth, and her last in 1998 as Robert Redford's mother in "The Horse Whisperer". Nolan plays the corrupt wife of a murdered corrupt policeman.
Jocelyn Brando plays Ford's doomed wife. Best known for being Marlon's older sister, she appeared in two of his films ("The Ugly American" in 1963 and "The Chase" in 1965) and a dozen other films (e.g., "Mommie Dearest" in 1981), as well as nearly 100 TV appearances.
Willis Bouchey is known for his many roles in John Ford and/or John Wayne films (e.g., the train conductor in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" who puts the coda on the film by telling James Stewart that "nothin's too good for the man who shot Liberty Valance", President of the court martial in "Sergeant Rutledge") as well as more than 200 TV appearances. I remember him best as the President of the U.S. in "Red Planet Mars" (1952) who delivers the final eulogy for Peter Graves and Andrea King. Bouchey plays Ford's commanding officer.
Adam Williams made a career out of playing villains. He's the car bomber in "Big Heat", stalked James Stewart in "North by Northwest", killed women in "Without Warning" (1952), etc. It's a curious set of roles for a decorated WW 2 pilot. One of his good guy roles was as the Psychiatrist in "Fear Strikes Out" (1957). He fared much better on TV where he made more than 100 appearances
Peter Whitney appears as a bartender. Whitney's massive frame and enormous head awash with bushy eyebrows made him a natural heavy in films like "Underground" (1941), "Murder he Says" (1945), and "Three Strangers" (1946). In the 50s he transitioned to TV appearing in dozens of series. He had a recurring role as Sgt. Sinclair in "The Rough Riders" (1958-9).
Carolyn Jones is best remembered as Morticia on "The Adams Family" (1964-8) for which she won the Golden Globe. Her first big break came in the 3D "House of Wax" (1953), she won acclaim for "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956), and she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in "The Bachelor Party" (1957). The on screen sexuality that she oozed served her well and she landed a co-starring role with Elvis in "King Creole" (1958) and eventually the role as Morticia. She plays a brief role as a woman burned with a cigarette by Marvin.
John Doucette puts in a brief role as an Army buddy of Ford's brother-in-law. Douchette's gruff manners and his deep voice made him a popular player in more than 200 films and TV shows, mostly westerns. He appeared in several John Wayne films ("True Grit", "Sons of Katie Elder", "Big Jake") as well as memorable roles in "The Robe" (1953) and "Cleopatra" (1963).
Although most critics consider this a film noir, it must be noted that while the film has many film noir elements, the hero, Ford, is not compromised by the femme fatale, and in fact, he is the vehicle by which the femme fatales perish. Classicists may conclude that this is nourish, but not classic film noir.
The film is shot by Charles Lang (no relation to Frtiz). Lang was nominated more times for an Oscar than any other Director of Photography (18 times), but won only once - "A Farewell to Arms" (1934). The nearly 150 films he photographed differed in content and style, and Lang was an eclectic, though he did film one other film noir movie - "Sudden Fear" (1952) with Gloria Grahame.
The early 50s saw several similar themed films - "The Enforcer" (1951), "Captive City" (1952), "Chicago Syndicate" (1955) - largely as a result of the Kefauver Commission investigation of organized crime. This turned the focus of film makers away from the individual criminal (Rico in "Little Caesar" and "Public Enemy" and Tony in "Scarface") to the organization, and by extension, the greater society.
For Fritz Lang fans, there is a similar film, called "Rancho Notorious" (1952) that is a western with similar themes as "The Big Heat". Arthur Kennedy places a good rancher whose fiancé (Gloria Henry) is raped and killed and he gets involved with a femme fatale played by Marlene Dietrich in his quest for revenge. The Lee Marvin role of the savage henchman is played by Mel Ferrer.
The film is classic Fritz Lang in that it explores Lang's belief that people are conflicted, the doppelganger or double personality. Lang often used mirrors to express this, as when Peter Lorre (in M) looks in the mirror, or when Gloria Grahame constantly examine s herself in the mirror - notice how she changes personalities. Grahame is both the mob girl and the heroine. One side of her face is beautiful, the other scarred. Ford is both cop and thug.
Lang also loved to illustrate life's vicissitudes. Chance is a major player. It's by chance that Ford's wife starts his car. It's by chance that Grahame is in the bar when Ford arrives. It's chance that Ford and Grahame are seen leaving the bar together by one of Marvin's henchmen. Etc.
Lang also liked to show that heroism, like villainy, lay within each person, and wasn't the place of the superman. Thus Ford is a very average copy who must reach inside himself to become the hero, and he does this by finding his other self. Grahame, on the other hand, becomes the heroine by reaching inside herself to find that other woman.
This is a violent film, to say the least. A woman gets blown up, another one is scalded with hot coffee, and another is burned with a cigarette. We have suicide, murder and assault thrown in, along with corruption and betrayal. Some of this occurs off screen, but much of it is on screen.
The film got good reviews. The New York Times called it "a hot one with a sting" and Variety praised Lang for being "tense, forceful direction" and said the cast was "top notch trouping led by Glenn Ford." It's certainly a good film, holds up pretty well, and benefits from strong performances by almost everyone in the cast. But it's not really a film noir piece, and it certainly doesn't represent the best of Fritz Lang's work, although it is a classic Lang story with something less than the classic Lang stylistic lighting effects. Definitely worth a look even after all these years.
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