Featured Audience Ratings

• KJ P

  
  Never have I encountered a film that involves a painter, where I actually cared so much about what happened to him. I felt terrible every time he was lured into another trap. This film revolves around the life of a cashier as he paints for fun on the side. His dream is to eventually… More
  Never have I encountered a film that involves a painter, where I actually cared so much about what happened to him. I felt terrible every time he was lured into another trap. This film revolves around the life of a cashier as he paints for fun on the side. His dream is to eventually sell his paintings, but can never find anyone to purchase them. As this married man becomes emotionally involved in another woman, she lies in order to steal the paintings to sell for herself. He finds out and actually thanks her. He falls into every trap known to man, and in the end, you will truly feel sympathy for his actions. This beautiful "film noir" definitely deserves a ranking among the top of it's kind. With great acting, truly emotional storytelling, amazing transitions and shots, "Scarlet Street" (although very slow moving and dated) is a brilliant example of the classical paradigm. I absolutely loved this film!

• Randy T

  
  Edward G. Robinson is cast against type as the timid and meek Chris Cross in this truly <i>classic</i> film noir that starts with a chuckle and ends with a wrecking ball straight to the gut.

• AJ V

  
  Robinson gives a fantastic performance in this movie, and the story is so perfectly tragic, I loved it, especially the ending. If you love Robinson or are interested in the movie because of the plot synopsis, check it out.

• Ken S

  
  Pitch perfect noir. On of the best examples of the genre I can think of. It's no surprise it comes from a master of German expressionism: Fritz Lang.

• Veronique K

  
  a sarcastic story of unrequited love interwined with triangled tension and deceiful absurdity. none of the three leads are mutually in love. chris(robinson)loves kittie but kittie(bennett) loves johnny....but johnny only loves himself. it's like circular food chain with the… More
  a sarcastic story of unrequited love interwined with triangled tension and deceiful absurdity. none of the three leads are mutually in love. chris(robinson)loves kittie but kittie(bennett) loves johnny....but johnny only loves himself. it's like circular food chain with the natural evil scheme of cruelty and relentless exploitations. gruesomely it's disguised in the name of love. as for robinson, contrary to his little caesar tough guy image in 30's, he plays a mild-mannered sap with preposterous naivety to allow himself being consumed piece by piece without conscious. it's also some black humor within his gullibleness, a sort of bitter pleasure to witness a man's downfall but you can't help but be callous about his tragedy. appropriate fodder for cynicists even with the spoiling minor-taste of cliched predictability. (you could foretell his doom within the 30 mins you watch the flick.)

• Michael G

  
  Edward G. Robinson plays the world's biggest sucker as Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea take him for a ride. Fritz Lang's direction is at its height (at least the height of his American movies) of its powers. Bennett is one of the screen's most rotten femme fatales stewing… More
  Edward G. Robinson plays the world's biggest sucker as Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea take him for a ride. Fritz Lang's direction is at its height (at least the height of his American movies) of its powers. Bennett is one of the screen's most rotten femme fatales stewing in vulgarity and Duryea is about as slimy and as likable as AIDS. The courtroom scene was as great as Robinson's paintings and the scene (actually scenes) where Robinson finally loses his shit is (are) fantastic. It seemed to violently (no pun intended) change gears a little too late, but still not bad. A great example of film noir.

• jay n

  
  joan bennett is a great noir villianess, rotten to the core.

• Eduardo T

  
  Melodrama at it's best. Fritz Lang is officially one of my favorite directors. My eyes where glued to the screen the entire time. What I really liked about the acting was the over the top emotion the characters gave. I guess it was okay to overact considering that this film… More
  Melodrama at it's best. Fritz Lang is officially one of my favorite directors. My eyes where glued to the screen the entire time. What I really liked about the acting was the over the top emotion the characters gave. I guess it was okay to overact considering that this film features situations in which people would get emotional. I really liked the direction. I have noticed that I prefer direction style of the classics. I preferred the way the handled the camera back then. This featured some good production values. The think I really like about film noir is the art direction. Especially the costume design. Especially the costumes for the women. The best part about this is the writing. Very well thought out story. It was totally unpredictable. This is officially one of my favorites.

• Chris B

  
  A masterful and powerful film directed by the legendary Fritz Lang, "Scarlet Street" is a dark and gloom filled tale of vice and murder. The film really develops the characters and you truly feel for them as they try and naively cope with the unforgiving world around them.… More
  A masterful and powerful film directed by the legendary Fritz Lang, "Scarlet Street" is a dark and gloom filled tale of vice and murder. The film really develops the characters and you truly feel for them as they try and naively cope with the unforgiving world around them. Real people in real situations and the desperation that rears it's head and causes chaos is the theme here and is enacted perfectly by the cast and written wonderfully! This really is a haunting and powerful film that has a powerful performance by all involved, especially Edward G. Robinson as the lonely and desperate Christopher Cross. Ultimately we are shown that no matter what you legally get away from, sometimes the worst thing is your own conscience. This is a great film that I would recommend to anyone interested in film and especially those that like dark dramas and film-noir.

• Mike T

  
  This intriguing, dark and bitingly clever film draws most of its power from style and direction. The story works both as a tragic human drama and as a nail-biting suspense. There is definitely a certain depth to this film that is a little rare in the genre.

• Stephen E

  
  Less of a film noir than it is a drama centered on morals, "Scarlet Street" is unexpectedly mature and surprisingly bleak for its time period, delivering its message with a finale so ironic you're sure to grin. Edward G. Robinson is easy to sympathize with as the… More
  Less of a film noir than it is a drama centered on morals, "Scarlet Street" is unexpectedly mature and surprisingly bleak for its time period, delivering its message with a finale so ironic you're sure to grin. Edward G. Robinson is easy to sympathize with as the film's protagonist, while Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea (in a great performance!) act as the villains. It's easy to tell that "Scarlet Street" is the work of a master director when observing its handsome camerawork, well-executed scenes and consistently even tone. It's gripping, thrilling and as much of a classic as you could possibly ask for. There may be moments that feel slightly contrived, but "Scarlet Street" is one of the most effective dramas I've seen in a long, long time.

• Buddy A

  
  A very different role for Robinson tops off this excellent Lang film. As a meek, henpecked painter whose obsession with Kitty (Bennett&#039;s version of the femme fatale) completely dominates his life, Robinson turns in a performance like never before. A very bleak film, and very… More
  A very different role for Robinson tops off this excellent Lang film. As a meek, henpecked painter whose obsession with Kitty (Bennett&#039;s version of the femme fatale) completely dominates his life, Robinson turns in a performance like never before. A very bleak film, and very true to the film noir spirit.

Read all 12 featured audience ratings