Film Review
The Big Steal is a somewhat
crude attempt to parody the film noir thriller, marred by script weaknesses
that are just about compensated by its tongue-in-cheek performances and
a well-photographed exotic location. The film stars Robert
Mitchum and Jane Greer, who had previously starred in an earlier film
noir classic,
Out of the Past
(1947).
The film was directed by Don Siegel, who is perhaps best-known for his
hardboiled thrillers
Dirty Harry
(1971) and
The Killers
(1964), as well as his classic sci-fi movie
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
(1956).
The Big Steal
is not the most engaging or intellectually demanding of films, the plot
largely consisting of protracted car chases across open Mexican
countryside, the illusion of which is spoiled somewhat by many of the
scenes being shot in the studio with poor-quality back-projection.
The performances and some witty dialogue just about make up for the
ramshackle plot and weak characterisation, and
The Big Steal, whilst clearly not
the best film noir, has some merit. Originally released in black
and white, the film now also exists in a colorized version, which
definitely should be avoided, as the colorization removes every
scintilla of atmosphere of the original film.
© James Travers 2008
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Don Siegel film:
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Film Synopsis
Duke Halliday, a lieutenant in the United States army, finds himself in
deep water when Jim Fiske robs him of a substantial payroll. His superior,
Captain Vincent Blake, naturally assumes that Halliday stole the money, so,
to clear his name, the lieutenant has no choice other than to go after Fiske
and recover the lost cash. His journey takes him as far as Mexico, and
on the way he meets up with the robber's former girlfriend, Joan Graham.
Joan has her own reasons for wanting to get even with Fiske, so she agrees
to team up with Halliday and help bring the crook to justice. Meanwhile,
Blake has set out in pursuit of Halliday, unaware that his quarry has stolen
his identification. Arriving at a remote house in the desert, Halliday
and Joan are confident they have finally cornered Fiske, but they end up being
captured by the latter's fence, Seton. Help appears to be at hand when
Blake appears unexpectedly, but things are not quite what they seem...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.