Scarlet Street (1945)

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.

• 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.

• 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.

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