There were a couple aspects of this Film Noir-ish movie that didn't work so well for me, though the overall effort was still very watchable and I appreciate how those involved with the production tried something different. The movie started with a bang--with Robert Ryan giving one of his best performances as an angry and violent cop on the edge. Again and again, Ryan's character felt the best way to get information out of a suspect was to beat it out of him. Despite being a Noir film (at least in the first half), his behaviors were so extreme even the other cops were alarmed by his actions. This portion of the film was, in my opinion, the best--especially for folks like me that LOVE Noir.
Because Ryan is so out of control, his boss (Ed Begley) sends him upstate to assist in capturing a murderer. While this second half of the film is very good, I found it far less satisfying because now Ryan's character was quieter and more emotionally stable!! I LIKED seeing the maniac cop in action and the second half of the movie was NOT Film Noir, but more of a romantic cop film. Plus, while interesting, the romance between Ryan and Ida Lupino seemed a bit contrived. After all, he barely knew the woman at all, yet in the end he drives all that way and the film ends in a clinch! Interesting, yes, but gritty and believable, no. One reviewer called this film "Noir with a heart". I know this sounds awful, but I like that Noir doesn't have a heart and sentimentality has no place in the genre.
Because Ryan is so out of control, his boss (Ed Begley) sends him upstate to assist in capturing a murderer. While this second half of the film is very good, I found it far less satisfying because now Ryan's character was quieter and more emotionally stable!! I LIKED seeing the maniac cop in action and the second half of the movie was NOT Film Noir, but more of a romantic cop film. Plus, while interesting, the romance between Ryan and Ida Lupino seemed a bit contrived. After all, he barely knew the woman at all, yet in the end he drives all that way and the film ends in a clinch! Interesting, yes, but gritty and believable, no. One reviewer called this film "Noir with a heart". I know this sounds awful, but I like that Noir doesn't have a heart and sentimentality has no place in the genre.