Movielogr
The Big Heat (1953)
Directed by Fritz Lang
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Overview
Tough cop Dave Bannion takes on a politically powerful crime syndicate. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment in 1997.
Rated NR | Length 89 minutes
Actors
Glenn Ford | Gloria Grahame | Lee Marvin | Jeanette Nolan | Alexander Scourby | Jocelyn Brando | Peter Whitney | Willis Bouchey | Robert Burton | Adam Williams | Carolyn Jones | Howard Wendell | Chris Alcaide | Michael Granger | Dorothy Green | Ric Roman | Dan Seymour | Edith Evanson | Harry Lauter | Michael Ross | Phil Arnold | Sidney Clute | Michael Jeffers | Linda Bennett | Charles Cane | Byron Kane | John Close | Phil Chambers | John Crawford | John Doucette | Al Eben | Douglas Evans | Fritz Ford | Donald Kerr | Lyle Latell | John Merton | Celia Lovsky | Ted Stanhope | Herbert Lytton | Mike Mahoney | Laura Mason | Paul Maxey | Joseph Mell | Patrick Miller | William Murphy | Ezelle Poule | Norma Randall | Robert Stevenson | William Vedder
Viewing History (seen 2 times)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/08/2018 | Home Theater | Blu-ray | Owned | 8 stars |
| 05/22/2012 | TV | DVD | Rented | 9 stars |
| (Average) 8.5 stars |
Viewing Notes
Now that I’ve finally watched The Big Heat, it’s hard to imagine I’ve gone so long without seeing it. While technically a film noir, The Big Heat easily transcends the genre with uniquely strong female leads and a strong, moral leading man in Glenn Ford.
Lang does bring German expressionism to bear here, certainly, and it’s evident in the stark use of shadows and light throughout the movie. However, there’s a lot more at work here, including some bold statements on current, at the time, social issues, such as assertive post-war modern women. While they’re still portrayed in their classical wife and plaything roles—cooking, cleaning, taking care of the children, or as a sexual plaything—they also make their own decisions, to momentous effect here.
A young Lee Marvin plays a snarling lowlife, the exact opposite of Ford’s morally incorruptible cop, to great effect. He’s a lot of fun to watch and it’s a credit to his acting that you actively hate his character so much.
The real scene stealer is the talented and beautiful Gloria Grahame, who plays Marvin’s companion, for lack of a better word.
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