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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
A prime example of the American film noir style that flourished during the 1940s and '50s, The Big Combo is now highly regarded as a stylistic milestone for its innovative use of deep shadows and harsh, singular light sources to define its visual strategy. This look is largely credited to the rule-breaking brilliance of cinematographer John Alton, who turns a standard plot of the era into a richly atmospheric experiment in visual invention. Ignoring conventional approaches to lighting, Alton defines the screen in terms of blackness, often framing characters as silhouettes cast in ominous grays or thick, roiling fogs. Moving from clarity to abstraction with masterful grades in between, Alton's trend-setting style has been celebrated by cinematographers since the film's release in 1955.
The film's plot keeps brisk pace with the visuals, focusing on the obsessive efforts of a tenacious detective (Cornel Wilde) to destroy a sadistic mobster (Richard Conte) whose vicious influence has nearly ruined the life of the woman (Jean Wallace) he keeps under his dark wing. Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman are nicely cast as the villain's toady henchmen, and Brian Donlevy's usual limitations serve him well as the humbled, frustrated kingpin who's been stifled by Conte's ambition. Director Joseph H. Lewis previously demonstrated his raw, stylistic vigor with the earlier cult favorite Gun Crazy, and here he's in peak form with a perfect match of subject and sensibility. The result is hard-boiled entertainment that still packs a punch. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
This downbeat "noir" thriller raised a few eyebrows upon its release due to its violence and controversial themes. Cornel Wilde plays a dedicated cop--out to bring down crime boss Richard Conte--who gets involved with icy blonde Jean Wallace, Conte's mistress. Wilde must then immerse himself in the mafia underworld and deal with hit men and seedy informants to take Conte down. Brian Donlevy, Lee Van Cleef, and Earl Holliman co-star. 84 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Quentin Tarantino owes his career -- or what's left of it, anyway -- to Joseph L. Lewis' *The Big Combo*, from 1955. Fans of *Resevoir Dogs* will be surprised to see that the villain of the piece (a hissable Richard Conte) is named "Mr. Brown" (which was Tarantino's color-coded name in his own film). They will also be shocked to discover that Tarantino is something of a rip-off artist when they see the scene here where Conte and his goons torture a cop tied to a chair. In 1955, force-feeding someone booze, splashing it all over him, and cramming a hearing-aid into his ear with the other end attached to a radio was considered sufficient torture. In 1992, our sensibilities required the removal of the ear and splashes of gasoline. Progress. At any rate, my point is that *The Big Combo* was a very influential film noir among connoisseurs. It still packs a wallop. I take issue with the fellow from Canada below on several points. As for his sniping about the low budget here . . . yeah? So? If anyone can name a classic film noir that had an extravagant budget to play with -- with the possible exception of *Double Indemnity* -- I'd be interested to know about it. And my answer to his complaints about the dialogue is to suggest that perhaps he has confused *The Big Combo* with, well, *Double Indemnity*. I personally find the dialogue to be compact, lean and mean, and reasonably free of superfluous verbiage. (Unlike in Wilder's "classic", wherein insurance agents talk like lifelong Hell's Kitchen hoods, to say nothing of nattering voice-over narration.) There are certainly no page-long, single-space monologues in this movie. In any case, the absolutely stunning cinematography provided by the master John Alton should mute any misguided criticisms. This will be one of the best-shot black & white movies you will ever see. It ranks with the Expressionist milestones of Murnau and Welles. The pulsing alternation between shadow and sudden clarity is particularly impressive. A word of praise also goes to the performers: Jean Wallace is a walking blonde veneer steaming with sexual degredation beneath the surface; her real-life husband Cornel Wilde is the quintessential New York City detective. The supporting players are great, too. [The DVD is not so great. No extras, but who cares? -- it's the transfer that's really lacking. *The Big Combo* needs, and deserves, a thorough clean-up, in the Criterion tradition. We're still missing the entirety of Alton's photographic achievement with this product.]
26 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
First and foremost I would like to congratulate and say thank you very much to IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT for having the sense to make available a great overlooked, and underappreciated classic on VHS and DVD. "The Big Combo" is one of the best film noirs ever made, and one of the best films of the 1950s. It is one of the most brutal films both visually and in its depiction of the violence that lies beneath the surface of society. It also has many great performances by Richard Conte, Cornel Wilde, and Conte's two psychopathic aids Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman. This is definitely a must-see for either fans of dark, violent films, or for fans of great artistic films also. I congratulate, applaud, and thank very much, IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT for remembering and making "THE BIG COMBO" available on DVD and VHS as it should be. Here are some forgotten classics that aren't available on video or need a better transfer, that definitely should: NIGHT AND THE CITY (1950), GUN CRAZY (1949), BIGGER THAN LIFE (1956), NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947), CRIME WAVE (1954), WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS (1950), TROUBLE IN PARADISE (1932), EDGE OF DOOM (1950), SCARLETT STREET (1945), THE RED HOUSE (1947), DETOUR (1945), CAUGHT (1949), THE RECKLESS MOMENT (1948)
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Wow ! That's the kind of film noir I like. Firstly , the villain is really a villain. Richard - Mr Brown - Conte is the kind of bad guy you don't want to have against you. The way he uses a radio to torture the poor Cornel Wilde is...weird, it's the least one can say.
One also will recognize Lee Van Cleef, the future spaghetti star of the italian westerns of the 60's, in the role of a vicious bodyguard. And Jean Wallace as the fragile blond girlfriend of our vicious psychopath. And Brian Donleavy, the former mob boss, whose ear infirmity gives to director Joseph Lewis the opportunity to imagine a scene that is part of Movie History.
The quality of the DVD is above-average with very good images but no extras. Just a scene access.
A DVD for your library.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Below average crime drama from the mid 50s
Customer Video Review
Length:
4:48
Mins
Published 6 months ago by Dr. James Gardner
Dark Mood But Sprite Script Enliven A Forgotten Thriller
The Big Combo
Director Joseph H. Lewis whose previous credits include the anthologized noir classic Gun Crazy (reviewed June 4, 2011) is on his game once again in this... Read more
Director Joseph H. Lewis whose previous credits include the anthologized noir classic Gun Crazy (reviewed June 4, 2011) is on his game once again in this... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Robert Taylor Brewer
Great, stylish film noir
The Big Combo is hailed as one of the more stylish noirs, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. The film features memorable characters, great atmosphere, and a typically convoluted... Read more
Published 16 months ago by notoriousEIC
Best of Film Noire
This is one of the very best of the genre. Right up there with the Maltese Falcon.
Published 19 months ago by Desert Rat
Harsh and gritty
I saw a documentary years ago about Hollywood censors and the problems they had with this film. With the freedoms today's filmmakers exercise, it's hard for today's generation to... Read more
Published on April 30, 2010 by WriterGirl
Pretty good combo
The Big Combo is a good example of what some talented people can do with inferior material and a non-existent budget. Read more
Published on April 13, 2010 by Joey D
More 'Dragnet' than 'Out of the Past'
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
It's instructive to compare 'The Big Combo' with another detective film, 'Mystery Street', filmed earlier in 1950. Read more
It's instructive to compare 'The Big Combo' with another detective film, 'Mystery Street', filmed earlier in 1950. Read more
Published on March 26, 2010 by Turfseer
Be Sure to Get the DVD by Image
I'm a fan of this movie even though the plot is a little silly at times, and Cornell Wilde isn't the greatest of actors. However the film makes up for it's weaknesses in style. Read more
Published on May 27, 2009 by Mark Colangelo
Film Noir At Its Toughest
This is one of the few classic films that was so rough, so hard-edged, I got rid of it after several viewings....but now wish I had it back. Read more
Published on January 27, 2009 by Craig Connell
A classic New York gangster movie
The female lead here reminds me of Grace Kelly a few years later.
This movie is the post war gangster movie with very good acting
and a good script. Read more
This movie is the post war gangster movie with very good acting
and a good script. Read more
Published on December 14, 2008 by R. Bagula
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