Brighton Rock (1947)
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100% of critics liked it
(15 reviews) -
86% of users liked it
(2,121 ratings)
This unsparing, brutal look at the British criminal underbelly stars Richard Attenborough as Pinkie Brown, a pock-marked gang leader. While leading his men in a racetrack robbery, Pinkie kills a man. He convinces pretty waitress Rose (Carol Marsh) to provide him with an alibi, promising to marry her… More This unsparing, brutal look at the British criminal underbelly stars Richard Attenborough as Pinkie Brown, a pock-marked gang leader. While leading his men in a racetrack robbery, Pinkie kills a man. He convinces pretty waitress Rose (Carol Marsh) to provide him with an alibi, promising to marry her in exchange. After the wedding, the sociopathic Pinkie conducts a slow and careful campaign to drive his young wife to suicide. A moody, well-acted film with a stunning performance by the 24-year-old Attenborough, Brighton Rock is notable for bringing a new vicious realism to British crime cinema. Adapted by Terrance Rattigan and Graham Greene, from Greene's novel, the screenplay is superlative. The grim realism and sordid subject matter of the film is striking, handled by twin filmmakers Roy and John Boulting, who use mood and dark, stark photography to convey an almost palpable sense of dread. The American distributor of Brighton Rock, smelling disaster with that ambivalent title, renamed the film Young Scarface, and while it was quite controversial in its day, the film can't quite recapture the impact it had upon its initial release. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- John Boulting
- Written By
- Terence Rattigan
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Drama
- In Theaters
- Nov 7, 1947 Wide
- Studio
- Rialto Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Keith Uhlich, Time Out New York
The future Lord Dickie's sinister stylings are what linger, especially the vitriolic audio recording he makes for his betrothed, done as if damnation were the most casual of enterprises.
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Vadim Rizov, Village Voice
A seedy noir, equal parts concealed-camera atmosphere and tense set pieces.
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Variety Staff, Variety
This tends to prove that Britain can turn out a gangster picture as brutal as any Hollywood had devised.
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Shaun Munro, What Culture
Brighton Rock is a classic example of filmmaking that remains hugely accessible despite its age...
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Kent Turner, Film-Forward.com
As brassy, boozy, and blonde entertainer Ida Arnold, [Hermione Baddeley] is a blast of smoky and stale music-hall air.
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Cast
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Richard Attenborough
as Pinkie Brown
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Hermione Baddeley
as Ida Arnold
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William Hartnell
as Dallow
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Carol Marsh
as Rose Brown
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Harcourt Williams
as Prewitt
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Wylie Watson
as Spicer
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Nigel Stock
as Cubitt
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Alan Wheatley
as Fred Hale
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George Carney
as Phil Corkey
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Charles Goldner
as Colleoni
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Reginald Purdell
as Frank
- Norman Griffiths and Orch.
- Constance Smith
- Mary Stone
