The Big Combo (1955)

"I'm gonna break him so fast he won't have time to change his pants.", 8 July 2006

I picked-up The Big Combo as a blind buy for very little money. And I couldn't be happier with my purchase. Director Joseph H. Lewis created a wonderfully good-looking and compelling film full of atmosphere and interesting characters. This incredibly dark, relatively unknown noir deserves a much wider audience. And when I say dark, I mean as dark as midnight. No one comes out of this one unscathed. All of the characters, even the supposed good ones, are flawed and dramatically affected by the events of the movie. And technically, the movie is just as good. Lewis masterfully uses light and shadows along with interesting camera angles. Most every scene is a feast for the eyes.

At the center of the plot is mobster Mr. Brown. He's an untouchable. The police have been unable to pin anything on him even though he's the mastermind behind a successful criminal organization. Richard Conte is Mr. Brown, the head bad guy in The Big Combo. It's a remarkable performance and what makes this movie so special. He oozes evil with the best of them. The only person he cares about is himself. He's the kind of guy who can turn against someone on a dime – even those who have helped him get ahead. Conte's Mr. Brown is easily one of my favorite heavies I've so far run across.

If you're a fan of noirs, The Big Combo is worth seeking out.

8/10