Hume cronyn gives a masterfull performance as the sadistic,fascist caption of. Many films of this era had tendencies to add a lot of sappy melodrama, but not this time, brute force never went down that path, and is on par with. Brute force is een amerikaanse film noir uit 1947 onder regie van jules dassin. Criterions booklet has an excellent essay by critic michael atkinson, a vintage 1947 profile of the colorful columnistturnedproducer hellinger, and an intriguing, bitter exchange of letters between hellinger and production code chief joseph breen on the subject of the films censorship problems. Produced by mark hellinger and directed by jules dassin, the film is a strikingly potent prison noir masterpiece. Brute force 1947 with a title like brute force, you can be sure this one isnt going to be a walk in the park. Hardhitting and gritty, this prison film chronicles the cruelty of a sadistic. Brute force aka zelle r 17 is a 1947 american crime film noir directed by jules dassin, from a screenplay by richard brooks with cinematography by william h. While not so shocking by todays desensitized standards, its nevertheless jarring to see such brutality in a film from the forties. At a tough penitentiary, prisoner joe collins plans to rebel against captain munsey, the powermad chief guard. Brute force burt lancaster 1947 dvd for sale online ebay. Brute force 1947 those gates only open three times. Sep 27, 2014 brute force, a classic example of the genre, was the second film of burt lancaster, who was to spend his movie career in and out of prison uniform, and his performance as the dynamic leader of a. The film brute force is exceptionally intriguing in more ways than one.
Brute force, a 2003 thirdperson shooter this disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title brute force. Add to that the great burt lancaster in top form,a top quality script and. Hellinger hired san francisco examiner reporter robert patterson. Brute force is a prison movie on the surface and a lifemetaphor once you get below around drainpipe level. Burt lancaster is the timeworn joe collins, who, along with his fellow inmates,lives under the heavy thumb of the sadistic, powertripping guard captain munsey a riveting. Buy brute force movie posters from movie poster shop. Brute force is a 1947 american crime film noir directed by jules dassin, from a screenplay by richard brooks with cinematography by william h. Brute force may be the citizen kane of prison movies. The office an american workplace seasons 19 dvd steve. Brute force by jules dassin, starring burt lancaster, full movie. Cracking the data encryption standard, a 2005 book by matt curtin. The booklet for the criterion collection dvd has an article. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
At overcrowded westgate penitentiary, where violence and fear are the norm and the warden has less power than guards and leading prisoners, the least contented prisoner is tough, singleminded joe collins. Brute force is a prison, film noir drama that definitively still stands up today. Captain munsey hume cronyn thanks gallagher charles bickford for settling a feud and warns him about having a gang. I would not be the first critic or commentator to note the films naziinspired imagery, especially its prisonasconcentration camp visuals, complete with guards in dark trench coats and a. Share brute force 1947 r4 dvd film noir burt lancaster.
When you come in, when youve served your time, or when youre dead. At a tough penitentiary, prisoner joe collins plans. Burt lancaster is the timeworn joe collins, who, along with his fellow inmates, lives under the heavy thumb of the sadistic, powertripping guard captain munsey a riveting hume cronyn. Brute force, american film noir, released in 1947, that presents a grim portrayal of prison life, highlighted by a memorable war of wills between a convict and a sadistic guard. Power packed picture prison inmates revolt against a sadistic guard. Brute force aka zelle r 17 is a 1947 american crime film noir directed by jules dassin, from a screenplay by richard brooks with cinematography by william. Read the full synopsis of brute force, 1947, directed by jules dassin, with burt lancaster, hume cronyn, charles bickford, at turner classic movies. Brute force 1947 blu ray region 2 dassin lancaster for. To make him fit even better though, he plays a tough inmate.
Joe collins burt lancaster returns to his cell from solitary for having a shiv. Thoroughly enjoyable prison drama that has all the ingredients of a classic film rebellious prisoners,a brutal prison officer,a traitor among the inmates and an escape plan. Brute force 1947 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Brute force, a 2008 nick stone missions novel by andy mcnab. This is a genre of film that needs violence and sadism to get its point across a lot of the time and, made as it was in 1947, there was only so much that jules dassin could show. The scene in which an informer is herded by blowtorches to execution in a steam press still. Brute force 1947 is one of my all time favorite films that transcends genre labeling. As hardhitting as its title, brute force was the first of jules dassins forays into the crime genre, a prison melodrama that takes a critical look at american society. As hardhitting as its title, brute force was the first of jules dassins forays into. Brute force is a cracking moody picture directed with innovation by jules dassin and starring burt lancaster brilliant as.
Men in prison have their privileges taken away and make a daring attempt to break out by using force. Add to that the great burt lancaster in top form,a top quality script and masterful direction from jules dassin and u have not just a brilliant prison film but a classic of any genre or any era. Prisonmovie specialist paul mason gives a useful 15minute talk, partly on brute force and partly on the genre of prison movies. Visually stunning, it has a noir foundation on which is hung an unusually sensitive for noir study of men trapped by their circumstances, their sins, their weaknesses, their fears, their anger, and even by their ability, those that still have it, to feel the pain of those around them. Burt lancaster is the timeworn joe collins, who, along with his fellow inmates, lives under the heavy thumb of the sadistic, powertripping guard captain. Thoroughly enjoyable prison drama that has all the ingredients of a classic filmrebellious prisoners,a brutal prison officer,a traitor among the inmates and an escape plan. Jul 17, 2008 brute force 1947 with a title like brute force, you can be sure this one isnt going to be a walk in the park. The entire cast performs the piece like a well oiled tanker filled with nitro glycerine speeding out of control. The film was produced with excellent graphic quality, best sound quality and best starring actors. Munsey played by hume cronyn uses torture as a method of discipline. I really did enjoy this film but i think older prison films suffer perhaps as much as any genre compared to their younger counterparts. Munsey putting on the reich up to eleven, coupled with the fat, businesssuitwearing wardena blatant embodiment of notions linking capitalism fat capitalist pigs. It is a classic in every way with supurb acting from burt lancaster as the prisoner joe collins. Brute force jules dassin, 1947 westgate penitentiary, in the middle on nowhere identifiableits gates only open three times.
Giant steps gscr 019 country great britain format cd release date nov2006 upn 50929851924. It stars burt lancaster, hume cronyn and charles bickford. Theatrical trailer of noir prison drama brute force, directed in 1947 by jules dassin, starring burt lancaster, hume cronyn and charles bickford. The setting of brute force is westgate penitentiary, where the brutal capt. Brute force 1947 r4 dvd film noir burt lancaster for. Brute force as hardhitting as its title, brute force was the first of jules dassins forays into the crime genre, a prison melodrama that takes a critical look at american society as well. The film that made the greatest impression on me this week was jules dassins brute force 1947. Brute force 1947 r4 dvd film noir burt lancaster for sale. Brute force, american film noir, released in 1947, that presents a grim portrayal of prison life, highlighted by a memorable war of wills between a convict and a sadistic guard the setting of brute force is westgate penitentiary, where the brutal capt.
Film noir, burt lancaster, 1940s, drama, crime, classics, mystery, thrilller. Brute force, a 1990 book by the historian john ellis. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. The others were thieves highway, night and the city and the naked city. Timeworn joe collins and his fellow inmates live under the heavy thumb of the sadistic, powertripping guard captain munsey. Brute force is the greatest movie excreted by mark hellinger productions, universal international pictures ui, by using a description of the movie is prison inmates revolt against a sadistic guard. Produced by mark hellinger in the same hardbitten style of his previous movie the killers and written by a young upandcoming scriptwriter named richard brooks. Brute force 1947 blu ray region 2 dassin lancaster for sale. Jules dassins earlier brute force 1947 is another unrelenting drama that doesnt believe in justice or redemption for its characters, who seem to exist in a horrible purgatory. Burt lancaster stars as the timeworn prisoner joe collins. Brute force, a classic example of the genre, was the second film of burt lancaster, who was to spend his movie career in and out of prison uniform, and his. Total number of members who have this title in their. Brute force 1947 12 07161947 us crime, drama 1h 38m user score.
As hardhitting as its title, brute force was the first of jules dassins forays into the crime genre, a prison melodrama that takes a critical look at american society as well. Matteroffact and ferocious, brute force builds to an explosive climax that shows the lengths men will go to when fighting for their freedom. Brute force 1947 remains a giant among prison movies. Brute force 1947 released from solitary confinement, prisoner joe collins burt lancaster learns that his supportive wife, ruth ann blyth, is refusing surgery to treat her potentially deadly. Were your movie poster source for new releases and vintage movie posters. Thats backed up by having burt lancaster in the lead, as he would fit in a film with this title even if he was just a silhouette against a wall. As hardhitting as its title, brute force was the first of jules dassins forays into the crime genre, a prison melodrama that also takes a critical look at american society. This was among several noir films made by dassin during the postwar period. Burt lancaster in only his third film but already commanding the screen like a pro is the. Brute force a dark sense of doom in film noirnexus. Criterions booklet has an excellent essay by critic michael atkinson, a vintage 1947 profile of the colorful columnistturnedproducer hellinger, and an intriguing, bitter exchange of letters between hellinger and. Some of the inmates on his cell blockwhose lives and crimes are. Andres rating of the film brute force andre some weirdly sentimental flashbacks really pull the bite out of this as a social document, but it hardly matters because dassins grasp of romantic pessimism and the tunnel vision of men on a dangerous job the violent, brutal business of getting down to escape is as riveting as the heist in rififi. Courtesy of turner classic movies late into a dark and stormy summer night.
In simple terms, brute force is a prison melodrama with shades of film noir, but beneath its surface beats an angry pulse of radical social politics. Read the full synopsis of brute force, 1947, directed by jules dassin, with burt lancaster, hume cronyn, charles bickford, at turner classic movies skip navigation tcm. Apr 11, 2008 theatrical trailer of noir prison drama brute force, directed in 1947 by jules dassin, starring burt lancaster, hume cronyn and charles bickford. One of the latter is going out now, a 62 year old prisoner forced to work in the prisons most dangerous area, what they call the drainpipe.
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