Sunday, March 16, 2014

Cagney Is Red Hot in White Heat (1949)

The cops are all procedural and techy and full of schemes, while the gangsters are Homeric, not only in ideas but in hubris and angst. Because of this, we might have the most complex and human portrayal of gangsters until The Godfather. It isn't that I don't know who to root for, but I truly wanted to see this play out, and the ending, while possible over the top ("of the world", so to speak), was also perfect-- the only way it could have ended appropriately.


Brilliant, and with some great scenery-chewing by Cagney.

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