• Brighton Rock

8/1/24 (Thurs)

John Boulton’s 1948 British film is clearly modeled on American gangster flicks; I almost expected the lead to break into a Cagney-like “You dirty rat.” A local gang of hoodlums in the beach town hunt down a reporter whose exposé brought their activities to light, killing him on a haunted house ride. One of the gang members is spotted by a waitress, Rose, as he is attempting a cover-up. That unnerves the gang leader Pinkie (what’s with the pink and rose?), who becomes intimate with Rose in an attempt to eliminate the potential threat. The waitress, not even aware of what she has witnessed, unwisely falls in love with him.

They have neglected another witness, however. A loud and often drunk entertainer named Ida who met the reporter just before his death is convinced that there has been foul play. She gets no help from the police, who have determined that the man died of a heart attack – despite the fact that he never reemerged from the haunted house. She decides to solve the mystery on her own.

Pinkie then tries to get his own man killed by a rival gang, but ends up being attacked by them as well. He ultimately kills the man himself. He plots to get of Rose by talking her into a love suicide, though we are aware that he has no intention of joining her. Rose is conflicted due to her Catholic faith versus her love for Pinkie, but the latter pushes. Ida is aware that something is wrong, and is finally able to enlist the help of the police. And the race is on.

Pinkie takes Rose out to a deserted pier, but just before she is able to pull the trigger, the police come upon them. Pinkie falls into the water and dies. The grief-stricken Rose clings to his memory. In a startling ending, a scratched record he had made expressing his hatred for her gets stuck on, “[What you want me to say is] I love you, I love you, I love you…”, making her think forever that he had feelings for her.

The book was adapted by Graham Greene from his novel of ten years earlier along with the eminent Terence Rattigan. Boulton, who is better known for comedy films directed with his brother, was particularly adept at crowd scenes in bars, streets, and the crowded beaches and pier. The initial pursuit of the reporter is rather overextended, though the haunted house ride is intense and nicely surreal. I’m not sure all the pieces after that fit perfectly, and the plot seems overcomplicated, as is often the case with Greene’s stories. Rose’s struggle with her Catholic belief is a typical Greene theme and done quite well; I imagine it was a stronger point in the book. The film’s ending was apparently a dramatic departure from the book, where Rose hears the record in full and learns the bitter truth of Pinkie’s feelings. I like the film’s more ironic take, where the woman will live always in her delusion. Greene apparently objected, and some reports say that the studio only did this because censors might object to a more tragic ending. But it works perfectly. (The record idea was silly anyway since I can’t imagine Pinkie leaving evidence of any type behind, but this at least makes it interesting.)

Richard Attenborough is a compelling presence as Pinkie, though he lays it on a bit thick. He does feel a bit older than the 17-year-old character, especially with the swagger he brings to the role (he was around 24 or 25 at the time). Carol Marsh is fine as Rose, especially in her portrayal of the character’s inner torment, and the gangsters are extremely well chosen. The standout is Hermione Baddeley, who uses her brassy image to good effect. She brings a lighter tone that keeps the vehicle from sinking too far into the noir.

A satisfying and atmospheric film and a great look at a slice of postwar England.