High Sierra
Reviews
John Chard
Roy Earle, a man out of prison and out of his time. Thanks to a rather shifty pardon, Roy Earle Is released early from prison. A job is out here waiting to be done - maybe Roy's last one before finally finding love and straightening out? But Roy is finding out that this is a different world to the one he left behind, the one before he entered the Big House for his stretch. There are crooks he's not familiar with and women turning his head, hell even a canine has him at odds with his machismo sensibility, but all of it will come crashing together amongst the magnificent High Sierra! It's a really funny thing now, you buy two DVDs and they both tell you that the respective film from 1941 is the breakout role for Humphrey Bogart. I am of course referring to both this fabulous film and the equally brilliant Maltese Falcon, what a double that is eh! Truth is, is that both films merely showcase what a talent the great man was, and crucially, that he could imbue his characters with terrific pathos and emotive drive. Here as Roy Earle Bogart gives one of his best 40s performances, this on a CV that has many other great turns. Made to look far more aged than he was (well done Perc Westmore), he manages to make Earle a tough and gritty man, yet at the same time he pulls the audience on side with a hardened professionalism that has us admiring the obvious qualities that reside deep within him. Directed by directing great Raoul Walsh, scripted by one John Huston, and starring Humphrey Bogart, it's obvious that this take on W.R. Burnett's novel is in safe hands. Playing out as one of the gangster genre's last hurrahs, it's clear to me that some future great Western directors were taking notes, for what drives High Sierra to being so gripping throughout is the man out of his time pulse beats, sensitivity seams through the picture without ever cloying the tension and feel of the pic. The best Adult Westerns coming in the next two decades would grab this thematic arc with genre bolstering aplomb. Backing up Bogart is the top billed Ida Lupinio (as we would come to expect she's strong and perfect foil to her lead man), while the likes of Alan Curtis, Arthur Kennedy, Henry Hull, Cornel Wilde, Henry Travers and Joan Leslie (badly overacting but amazingly not hurting the production) help to put High Sierra firmly in the drawer that holds classic crime pictures from a golden age. Not just content to be a close look at deep and elegiac characters, High Sierra does not lack in the action department either, in fact Walsh does an incredible job of knitting together heart and gusto for dramatic entertainment purpose. Come the finale at Mount Whitney (High Sierra a constant looming presence in the film, a key character}, the thrills have more than catered for the inclined seekers of that particular bent, but ultimately as the credits role, Walsh's camera leaves us in no doubt as to what has driven Roy, and High Sierra, to its point of meaning, leaving us with a special and great movie indeed. 9/10
Movie Recommendation
To Be or Not to Be1983-12-16A bad Polish actor is just trying to make a living when Poland is invaded by the Germans in World War II. His wife has the habit of entertaining young Polish officers while he's on stage, which is also a source of depression to him. When one of her officers comes back on a Secret Mission, the actor takes charge and comes up with a plan for them to escape.More...
The Roaring Twenties1939-10-28After World War I, Armistice Lloyd Hart goes back to practice law, former saloon keeper George Hally turns to bootlegging, and out-of-work Eddie Bartlett becomes a cab driver. Eddie builds a fleet of cabs through delivery of bootleg liquor and hires Lloyd as his lawyer. George becomes Eddie's partner and the rackets flourish until love and rivalry interfere.More...
Kansas City Confidential1952-11-11An ex-convict sets out to uncover who framed him for an armored car robbery.More...
The Strange Ones1950-03-29Elisabeth and her brother Paul live isolated from much of the world after Paul is injured in a snowball fight. As a coping mechanism, the two conjure up a hermetic dream of their own making. Their relationship, however, isn't exactly wholesome. Jealousy and a malevolent undercurrent intrude on their fantasy when Elisabeth invites the strange Agathe to stay with them -- and Paul is immediately attracted to her.More...
Penny Serenade1941-04-24Julie and Roger are a love-struck married couple who desperately want to have a child. Tragedy after tragedy gets in their way, as the two attempt to rise above their troubles and fulfill their dreams of parenthood.More...
The Enforcer1951-02-24After years of investigation, Assistant District Attorney Martin Ferguson has managed to build a solid case against an elusive gangster whose top lieutenant is about to testify.More...
Gaslight1940-08-31Twenty years removed from Alice Barlow's murder by a thief looking for her jewels, newlyweds Paul and Bella Mallen move into the very house where the crime was committed. Retired detective B.G. Rough, who worked on the Barlow case, is still in the area and grows suspicious of Paul, who he feels bears a striking resemblance to one of Barlow's relatives. Rough must find the truth before the killer can strike again and reclaim his bounty.More...
The Mask of Dimitrios1944-06-23A mystery writer is intrigued by the tale of notorious criminal Dimitrios Makropolous, whose dead body was found washed up on the shore in Istanbul. He decides to follow the career of Dimitrios around Europe, in order to learn more about the man. Along the way he is joined by the mysterious Mr. Peters, who has his own motivation.More...
Let Sleeping Cops Lie1988-11-10This movie tells the story of a group of right-wing cops have begun carrying out vigilante justice on drug dealers and other crime figures who might otherwise avoid punishment for their misdeeds. Police inspector Grindel (Delon) understands the feelings which motivate these deeds, but does not approve. However, he is not highly motivated to put an end to the group's activities until it begins to appear that they are now attacking fellow cops for reasons which are unclear.More...
Babysitter's Nightmare2018-08-07With a killer on the loose, a young woman takes babysitting to a new level to escape the danger and reveal the killer’s identity.More...
The Great White Silence1924-05-01Herbert Ponting travelled to Antarctica as part of Captain Scott's ill-fated South pole expedition and shot the footage that makes up this extraordinary documentary.More...
Racconto da un affresco1941-02-23The first art film by Emmer and Gras dedicated to Giotto's frescos in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. By capturing the humanity of the figures that populate the story of the life of Jesus, the two Directors treat the series of paintings like a true canvas, isolating the single scenes from the context of the work, and then re-composing them in a new synthesis. The film was re-edited in 1946 and entitled Il dramma di Cristo.More...
Tsotsi2005-12-23A young South African boy from the Johannesburg ghetto named Tsotsi, meaning Gangster, leaves home as a child to get away from his helpless parents. Now a teenage thug, Tsotsi finds a baby in the back seat of a car he's just stolen. He decides that it is his responsibility to care for the infant and in the process learns that maybe the criminal life isn’t the best way.More...
Barabbas1961-12-23Epic account of the thief Barabbas, who was pardoned for his crimes and spared crucifixion when Pilate offered the Israelites a choice to pardon Barabbas or Jesus. Struggling with his spirituality, Barabbas goes through many ordeals leading him to the gladiatorial arena, where he tries to win his freedom and confront his inner demons, ultimately becoming a follower of the man who was crucified in his place.More...
The Killer2017-09-13In lawless badlands, reclusive Cabeleira sets out to discover the fate of his gunman father and grows to be a feared assassin himself.More...
Ulysses1954-10-06A movie adaptation of Homer's second epic, that talks about Ulysses' efforts to return to his home after the end of ten years of war.More...
Kinsey2004-09-04Kinsey is a portrait of researcher Alfred Kinsey, driven to uncover the most private secrets of a nation. What begins for Kinsey as a scientific endeavor soon takes on an intensely personal relevance, ultimately becoming an unexpected journey into the mystery of human behavior.More...
The Killers1946-08-30Two hit men walk into a diner asking for a man called "the Swede". When the killers find the Swede, he's expecting them and doesn't put up a fight. Since the Swede had a life insurance policy, an investigator, on a hunch, decides to look into the murder. As the Swede's past is laid bare, it comes to light that he was in love with a beautiful woman who may have lured him into pulling off a bank robbery overseen by another man.More...
The Girl by the Lake2007-09-14A cop investigates the murder of a beautiful teen girl left naked by a lake.More...
Ordet1955-01-09The three sons of devout Danish farmer Morten have widely disparate religious beliefs. Youngest son Anders shares his father's religion, but eldest son Mikkel has lost his faith, while middle child Johannes has become delusional and proclaims that he is Jesus Christ himself. When Mikkel's wife, Inger goes into a difficult childbirth, everyone's beliefs are put to the test.More...
Similar Movies
The Street with No Na...
1948-07-14After two gang-related killings in "Center City," a suspect (who was framed) is arrested, released on bail...and murdered. Inspector Briggs of the FBI recruits a young agent, Gene Cordell, to go undercover in the shadowy Skid Row area (alias George Manly) as a potential victim of the same racket. Soon, Gene meets Alec Stiles, neurotic mastermind who's "building an organization along scientific lines." Stiles recruits Cordell, whose job becomes a lot more dangerous.Assumed
2019-08-24A police officer must clear his name in a future where crime can cost someone their identity.5 Against the House
1955-06-10Former war-time Army buddies now students in college decide to rip off a Reno casino.The Breaking Point
1950-10-06A fisherman with money problems hires out his boat to transport criminals.22 July
2018-10-04On 22 July 2011, neo-Nazi terrorist Anders Behring Breivik murdered 77 young people attending a Labour Party Youth Camp on Utøya Island outside of Oslo. This three-part story focuses on the survivors, the political leadership of Norway, and the lawyers involved.Witness to Murder
1954-04-15A woman fights to convince the police that she witnessed a murder while looking out her bedroom window.22 Bullets
2010-03-23A retired mobster goes on a revenge spree after being left for dead with 22 bullets in his body by his former childhood friend.The Firing Squad
2024-08-02Based on the true story of three Christian prisoners who face execution in a third world country and how their joy in Christ results in a stunning conclusion.Knight and Day
2010-06-15A fugitive couple goes on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no one – even themselves – are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust.Illegal Entry
1949-06-01Long before he became producer/director of The Tonight Show, Fred DeCordova helmed the Universal meller Illegal Entry. Howard Duff, who later worked with DeCordova on the TV series Mr. Adams and Eve, stars as Bert Powers, an undercover agent for the U.S. Department of Immigration. While attempting to bring a vicious gang of alien smugglers to justice, Powers falls in love with Anna Duvak (Marta Toren), a gang member who is Not What She Seems.The 3rd Voice
1960-03-05Marian Forbes has been having an affair with her boss and when he drops her for another woman. In an act of jealousy and greed she convinces an acquaintance to murder her former lover and then impersonate him just long enough to get their hands on a large sum of money.While the City Sleeps...
1956-04-19Newspaper men compete against each other to find a serial killer dubbed "The Lipstick Killer".Framed!
2021-06-13A twisted tale of crime, trust and desire, Framed! shows three perspectives of an unconventional robbery: The Curator’s, The Ambassador’s and The Professional Thief. However, there is more to this peculiar crime than it seems...Manhandled
1949-07-21Merle Kramer works as a stenographer for a psychiatrist. She is casually dating Karl Benson, a private eye and former cop. Merle mentions in passing that one of her boss's patients is an author with recurring dreams of murdering his wife, and she includes the fact that the wife owns valuable jewels. When the wife is found murdered in a manner identical to that of her husband's dream, the husband is naturally the prime suspect. But as the investigation of the police and insurance investigator Joe Cooper proceeds, it turns out that several people in the case, including Merle, are not what they seem.No Man of Her Own
1932-12-30An on-the-lam New York card shark marries a small-town librarian who thinks he's a businessman.Once a Thief
1965-04-24Ex-convict Eddie and his wife, Kristine, attempt to build a new life for themselves and their daughter Kathy in San Francisco, but police officer Mike Vido is determined to send Eddie back to prison.One Way Street
1950-04-01After stealing a gangster's money and his girlfriend, a doctor heads for a small village in Mexico to hide out.Playgirl
1954-04-21If you remember Shelley Winters from "The Poseidon Adventure" or "Bloody Mama," you might tend to forget what a knockout she was early in her career. This film will give you the chance to see her as a sexy nightclub singer teaching her just-in-from-the-sticks friend Colleen Miller the ropes in New York City. When Winters finds out that her married boyfriend Barry Sullivan has fallen for Miller, the recriminations...and bullets...start to fly!Plunder Road
1957-12-05A spectacular heist starts to unravel as the crooks take it on the lam.Private Hell 36
1954-09-03In New York City, a bank robbery of $300,000 goes unsolved for a year, until some of the marked bills are found in a Los Angeles drugstore theft. Police detectives Cal Bruner and Jack Farnham investigate and are led from the drugstore to a nightclub, where singer Lilli is another recipient of a stolen bill. With Lilli's help, the partners track down the remaining money, but both Lilli and Jack are dismayed when Cal decides he wants to keep part of it.