This is an excellent film full of superb acting and photography of the sea light that is truly beautiful. The script is well thought out and actually makes much more sense being set after the war than before. Rose is a neglected and under appreciated 17 year old who is suddenly paid attention to by Pinkie, a would-be flash Harry trying to live up to the impossible standards of his small time gang leader/ father figure, impossible because Pinkie has no war to make himself a legend with. The implication is clear: war sorts out the ruthless from the rest of us. I thought it easy to understand why Rose would fall for Pinkie and she does not want to upset the apple cart even going so far as to get married in a registry office, a mortal sin for a catholic, just to keep him onside (I did not dare say happy). Pinkie tries hard to be the hard man but does he succeed in being as cold hearted as he would like to be towards Rose? I think he is trying too hard. Phil Davies is excellent as the washed-up (literally) crook who senses he has reached the end of the road with nothing to show for it, Helen Mirren and John Hurt are wonderful as the friends with the proverbial chequered past and the scooters are the most glamorous things in the film. I thought the climactic en worked well but I have always thought the record scene was ridiculous from the earlier version and it is here too but there would have been cries of derision if it had not been included so I am prepared to lay that one at the feet of Graham Greene, a writer so appallingly bad that I can only put his continued popularity down to some kind of Jesuit conspiracy.
Review of Brighton Rock
