Brute Force
Directed by Jules Dassin. US. 1947. NR. Running time: 98 min.
- Sun, Jun 1, 2:00 pm
One of the great prison dramas, Brute Force depicts the inhuman conditions that can prevail under a corrupt and sadistic prison administration, and the brutal ends that men will go to in escaping them. In only his second film role, Burt Lancaster turns in a star-making performance as the convict that can take only so much, causing him to lead the prisoners in a Spartacus-like revolt. Also notable is Hume Cronyn, as the sadistic, unscrupulous warden who oversees the systematic brutalization of the inmates. With a stellar supporting cast, including Howard Duff (in his first film), Charles Bickford, Sam Levine, and (in flashbacks) Yvonne De Carlo and Ella Raines, this has been called “a masterpiece of escalating violence” from the moment when a blowtorch is used on an informer to the spectacular climax when Burt and his crew move to bust out. Brute Force is an extremely powerful film, shot in documentary style by director Jules Dassin. Don’t miss it!
Print courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art.