Martin B
Oh sure. An idealist that spends most of his time whining about his career and relationship with his wife kills himself because he cares so much about hurting others he loves. Or equally as likely he kills himself because he's guilty of immoral behavior at the least that resulted in someone elses death and he feels guilty.
My goodness the writer of this tale sure made every character that represented studio ownership, it's publicist and the agent the personification of all the most negative stereotypes that could be imagined.
It's a horrible, ill conceived play actually loaded with great actors that doesn't have any slow moments but all based on a flawed premise.
Acting by it's very nature is self indulgent and highly narcisistic and the idea this guy is some wide eyed idealist is nonsense.
What was interesting was seeing perpetual tough guy Jack Palance playing a whiny, pseudo intellectual, introspective complainer having his life in it's entirety controlled by others.
Terrible movie but very entertaining.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/06/23
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Audience Member
Ridiculous dialogue, stagey, over-the-top acting. There's not much good to say about this one other than to see Palance in an unusual role.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
01/21/23
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Audience Member
To be a major Hollywood star is not all that it's cracked up to be. Perks are always available and idolization is a given, sure, but the redundancy of being treated like a piece of meat and not a breathing, feeling, human, is something that can get to you. Some are able to handle the phony nature of Tinsel Town, but most aren't - the number of tragic figures within the cinematic side of show business is staggering. Even death is sprayed with a scent of otherworldly romanticism.
In a land of people trying to get ahead, it's only predictable that cutthroat action have debilitating effects. Take the identity crisis "The Big Knife's" Charlie Castle (Jack Palance) is having, for example. A heavyweight who has drank from the goblet of fame for a number of years, Charlie has survived as an actor of the John Garfield type throughout his career. Adoring fans are still as present as they were in his younger days. Studio heads still want him for their latest box-office smash. He has it all.
But, nearing forty, he's in the beginning stages of an early midlife crisis. He's not so sure he can take stardom for much longer, especially now that his wife (Ida Lupino) is on the verge of leaving him because of his occupation and because of his tendency to cheat. Like a male, 1950s era Bette Davis, he's ready to fight his way out of his present studio contract - but things aren't as simple as he'd like them to be.
Charlie is unable to free himself of celebrity due to a single issue that will likely haunt him for the rest of his life. Years back, he was involved in a hit-and-run accident that the studio covered up. As a result, he's been blackmailed by his boss (Rod Steiger) into staying in the profession. The film opens just as Charlie's contract is about to expire, his employer willing to do anything to get him to sign another one.
In essence, 1955's "The Big Knife," written by James Poe and directed by Robert Aldrich, is a filmed play, a concoction of breathy exchanges and fiery monologues that more or less work until things become too overwrought for their own good. Considering the way it rarely changes scenery, it is oftentimes a case of too much happening in too little of a scenario. Its "day in the life" plot is mostly convincing, but frequently tilts toward contrivance; the diabolical nature of Hollywood is stretched to limits that either pass as satirical or hysterical.
But I like how far Steiger, as the studio chief, goes with his hamminess (he's more over-the-top than Joan Crawford and Tallulah Bankhead combined), and how much Shelley Winters (as the starlet who might give Charlie's secret away) and Jean Hagen (as his mistress) are committed to melodramatically playing our lead's "other women."
And since "The Big Knife" is your standard acting movie, I cannot ask for much more than it provides - it gives great actors a well-conceived chance to flex their emotive muscles and deliver characterizations of unrelenting power. For that, I can only give it credit. Palance is effectively torn up as the film's unsteady center, and Lupino is compelling as a wife who loves her husband but is at a point in her life where caring about herself might be a better option.
A memorable movie it isn't - "The Big Knife" is little more than an intelligently executed exercise in expression - but it is more than eager to prove that a movie can be just as worthwhile when all the action is humanistic rather than extraneously thrilling. The snappy dialogue and skillful performances are something to behold; "The Big Knife" is a B-noir gem worth a look some sixty-plus years later.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/03/23
Full Review
Audience Member
A mild criticism of the Hollywood star system, this is a stage play that transfers well enough to the screen, but is probably too long-winded and wordy for its own good. Jack Palance and Rod Steiger are perhaps not the best choices to be restricted to one set whilst having to convince us they are major players in Tinsel Town.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/06/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I thought this was a excellent gripping movie. I dont normally like dramas but Palance is great in this as were some of the other actors. Some of the dialogue is brilliant and Palances voice makes him sound almost poetic. Also its shot very originally. Lots of long scenes. Almost like a stage play. Kinda like the way Hitchcocks Rope was filmed. If you like classic movies and dont mind it been a drama then this is a interesting movie and probably quite true aswell !!!
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/12/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I had been eagerly anticipating watching this film and was quite disappointed. The script is way too melodramatic for my taste and I do not consider this to be a true film noir. Ida Lupino is fabulous as Marion and Jack Palance and Rod Steiger make the most of their roles, However, the dialogue is more suited to the original stage play by Clifford Odets than it is to a screenplay.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/05/23
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