Rent The Big Heat (1953)
4.1 of 5 from 197 ratings
1h 29min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Ruthless criminals, a dedicated honest cop, sultry women and a gripping plot - all the elements of a classic police action-drama are here in force. Police Sergeant Bannion (Glenn Ford) is investigating the apparent suicide of a corrupt cop, then is suddenly ordered to stop - and The Big Heat is on. Driven to unravel the mystery, Bannion continues probing until an explosion meant for him, kills his wife. He resigns from he force and soon learns that behind it all is the powerful underworld led by Mike Lagana (Alexander Scourby) and his cold-blooded henchman, Vince Stone (Lee Marvin). When Stone's girl Debby (Gloria Grahame) makes a play for Bannion, Stone disfigures her face and in revenge, she tells all she knows. A life-or-death confrontation between Bannion and Stone brings this classic film noir thriller to a climatic unmissable finale! - Actors:
- Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Jocelyn Brando, Alexander Scourby, Lee Marvin, Jeanette Nolan, Peter Whitney, Willis Bouchey, Robert Burton, Adam Williams, Howard Wendell, Chris Alcaide, Michael Granger, Dorothy Green, Carolyn Jones, Ric Roman, Dan Seymour, Edith Evanson, Phil Arnold, Linda Bennett
- Directors:
- Fritz Lang
- Producers:
- Robert Arthur
- Writers:
- Sydney Boehm, William P. McGivern
- Studio:
- Sony
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Thrillers
- Collections:
- 100 Years of German Expressionism, Award Winners, Film History, inema Paradiso's 2023 Centenary Club: Part 2, The Biggest Oscar Snubs: Part 1, A Brief History of Film..., The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to: Fritz Lang
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 27/03/2017
- Run Time:
- 90 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Digital 1.0
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.37:1
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- (0) All
- Bonus:
- Audio commentary by film historians Lem Dobbs, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman
- Tony Rayns on Fritz Lang and 'The Big Heat' (2017, 34 mins): a newly filmed appreciation and analysis by the film historian
- Martin Scorsese on The Big Heat (2009, 6 mins)
- Michael Mann on The Big Heat (2009, 11 mins)
- Isolated score: experience Henry Vars' original soundtrack music
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Image Gallery: on-set and promotional photography
- UK Blu-ray premiere
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Reviews (3) of The Big Heat
Revenge Noir. - The Big Heat review by Steve
Fritz Lang's best American film and the pick of '50s noirs about organised crime. Glenn Ford plays an honest sergeant in homicide who is constantly frustrated by the mafia boss who owns the police and politicians. The detective gets warned off by his chief but after his wife is killed by an explosive.... the suspended cop goes solo.
Lee Marvin is splendidly repellant as the degenerate lunk who is strongarm for the mob. Ford enrols the help of his sexy, permmissive moll (Gloria Grahame) who wants revenge for the heavy throwing scalding coffee in her face. One of the most famous scenes in noir, and it still hits hard.
Ford is outstanding. But he is eclipsed by Gloria's sensational portrayal of the mercenary good-time girl who falls for the cop's burning obsession with revenge. She is so hot! It's a hypnotic performance and the centrepiece of GG's enduring cult appeal.
Almost everyone in this film is corrupt, but there are moving passages when some damaged working stiff sticks their neck out for the greater good. It's a landmark noir, because of the violence, the vigilante hero and its depiction of semi-legitimate crime. It scored Lang a big mainstream hit- which tones down his usual expressionism.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
The heat is high. - The Big Heat review by RhysH
Sometimes in the American gangster film the baddies can be somewhat endearing, the villains you love to hate, not in this Fritz Lang film noir, the baddies are really bad. None badder than Lee Marvin as Vince Stone, his top lip perspires with evil.
The plot is precise and richly written by Sydney Boehm, some great one liners all of them barbed with evil. The most sinister aspect of the plot is the seemingly expendable role of the women, justice is done at the end but at the awful expense of the horrible deaths of the main women characters.
Glen Ford is great as the detective on a mission weighed down by worries and Brylcreem and Gloria Grahame reveals emotional subtlety behind her great looks.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Lang's American Masterpiece - The Big Heat review by MCG
One of the greatest of all Hollywood film noirs and a searing commentary on America. Masterful direction by Lang, not a frame or a word of dialogue wasted. This is how to make a film. Highly Recommended.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.