(1947) - UK
Directed by John Boulting
Written by Graham Greene and Terence Rattigan, based on Greene's novel
Starring Richard Attenborough as Pinkie
with Carol Marsh as Rose
and Hermione Baddeley as Ida Arnold
and William Hartnell as Dallow

Produced by Roy Boulting
Cinematography by Harry Waxman
Edited by Peter Graham Scott
Music by Hans May

MY RANK: #1
I have seen this film about five times, and it was while watching it the fifth time that I decided it could claim the title as "my favorite film", previously held by Andrei Tarkovsky's Andrei Rublev. There is such a degree of perfection in this movie, and the perfection begins with its source material. Graham Greene adapted his own novel very concisely, altering very little, muting certain elements that would be difficult to reproduce on film (such as Pinkie's abhorrence of all things romantic and sexual) and tacking on a painfully, savagely ironic ending that brings the movie to a stunning close.

The performance by Richard Attenborough is one of controlled, suave villainy, but Attenborough makes it clear that Pinkie's cool, calculated persona is too new to be real - perhaps in several years it will fit him like a well-worn shoe, but for now we can see that it's largely an act of bravado, necessary of course if Pinkie wants to become a respected gangleader in Brighton. His act holds up even when he meets with Colleoni (Charles Goldner), the top gangleader in the area, who treats him like an upstart young whelp who barely registers on his radar. When Pinkie finally lets something overcome his gangster persona, it is shock brought on by both violence and the knowledge that he finally means something to Colleoni's gang.

As Rose, the young waitress who gets drawn into Pinkie's downward spiral, Carol Marsh is lovely and perfectly naive. She hits the right note with the character, who must remain so blinded by Pinkie's apparent romantic interest in her that she can't see what's happening on his or her own periphery. Ida Arnold, the busybody who doggedly pursues the question of 'who killed Kolly Kibber', is played by Hermione Baddeley. Her character is brash, loud, obnoxious, pushy, and still likeable - not an easy thing to pull off successfully. The rest of the cast is uniformly wonderful, from William Hartnell's sympathetic Dallow, to Harcourt Williams' doddering but not oblivious Prewitt.

John Boulting's direction is superb, certainly his best work among a large selection of great films. There is a great sense of economy - very few wasted shots, no over-explaining, no gratuitous exploitation of backgrounds or of the occasional violence. The composition of the shots is nothing short of brilliant. One of the best examples is when Rose talks Pinkie into making the record of his voice, and she remains outside the booth smiling with powerful adoration while he is inside speaking cruel and vicious words. Another example is when Pinkie has his final confrontation with Spicer; the camera pans over and tilts downward away from Pinkie but we can still see his face in a strategically placed mirror.

Even before the movie's last few seconds there is already a strong sense of having seen something extremely well-crafted and satisfying. But there's still the unresolved plot point of that record - and Rose is finally going to listen to it. It's what happens when she does that really cements my admiration for this film.

If you've never seen Brighton Rock, you're in for a treat. Overall, the plot is slightly complicated with its number of characters, but the methodical scripting and direction make following the plot an effortless joy. Make sure you see the film from start to finish, though, or you'll be a little lost in the first case, or will miss the brilliant ending in the second case. The movie does not have a decent North American video release, unfortunately. Over in the United Kingdom there is a PAL VHS from Warner Home Video UK, and a Region 2 PAL DVD will be released on 16 September 2002.