Did you people see the same film I saw?

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

BRIGHTON ROCK is an adaptation of a novel by Graham Greene, detailing the exploits of a group of youthful gangsters terrorising the seaside town of Brighton in Britain's post-war period. These days, it's well remembered chiefly for Richard Attenborough's dominating performance as the psychotic gang leader, Pinkie.Of course, in these days of ultra-violence and sadism, Attenborough's character feels fairly restrained. But the power of his performance is undeniable: it's mostly done via his eyes, which are cold, calculating and convey a sinister ruthlessness that comes to the fore as the story progresses.The film opens with a bang, with a careful set-up giving way to a great, sweaty chase scene through the streets of Brighton, eventually leading to the pier itself. The pacing then drops a notch as we're introduced to the ne'er-do-wells (including a young DOCTOR WHO, William Hartnell) and the film becomes a character study more than anything else. There's a would-be romance with pretty young Hermione Baddeley before things finally pick up for a suspenseful climax in which Pinkie reaps his eventual rewards.Although I thought the film was well-made, well-acted and well-written, with Greene doing the screenplay himself, I have to admit that it didn't quite grab me like I was hoping it to. It's a solid piece of film-making, but aside from Attenborough's strong performance, not one of my favourites.

This is simply one of the greatest movies I've ever seen. It's a prototype for Scorsese's great gangster films -- cut-throat nihilism intertwined with Catholic superstition to create a world where the guy who slits your throat is the same one that lies awake at night worrying that he's going to (literally) burn in hell. Perhaps you'd expect nothing less with Graham Greene writing the screenplay from his own novel, but the writing is great throughout -- from the terrified Fred's desperate attempts to score a protective date ("my, you work fast, don't you?") to Pinkie Brown's deranged malapropism for a suicide pact ("a suicide pax... that's Latin for peace, you know it?") -- the script is a non-stop collection of great dialog and inspired storytelling. The acting is electric from Richard Attenborough's teeth-gritting paranoia to Carol Marsh's sweet but dangerous naiveté. If you're into noir and gangster movies this is one of the must-see films.

There was no action and not much substance to it. Attenborough held the same expression (moody) throughout and there was a pathetic female character in it who really epitomised everything I hate about a lot of films made in the black and white period; over-the-top, whiny, clingy and acting completely without passion or skill. I believe the film was supposed to be character-driven but as the main character was more silent than talkative, an audience wouldn't really be able to explore the depths of his persona. Given Attenborough's one expression, I don't think his character had any other sides to his personality. If his character was a word it would be 'monosyllabic'.

So much has already been said of this film its pointless to type out the story but this is absolutely without shadow of a doubt the finest British gangster film ever made and one of the greatest British films ever made. Richard Attenborough was very almost typecast as hoodlums and gangsters (the hundred pound window, London belongs to me, boys in brown, dancing with crime) his performance here is not uncagney like (via public enemy) phycotic seething brooding filled with rage fear hate and despair. He seems to bear a grudge against religious and authoritative figures he also appears to be homosexual in one scene he goes berserk to find fellow gang members and their girlfriends drinking and acting flirtatious and promiscuous he even threatens to kill when a fellow gangster says his wife is going to make a man of him on their wedding night and then the next morning after their wedding night he hasn't slept with his wife. his best friend tells her "not to worry hes just busy hes got stuff on his mind" she tells pinkies best friend "i don't want to be on his mind ever i just want be with him" implying she hasn't 'BEEN' with him in fact by the end of the film I'm not sure he has slept with her at all. You can fill in the blanks why does a 17 year old lad wind up this vicious and angry where are his parents what lead him to the place where he is now why the hatred toward religion ? even his nick name pinky brown... you have to wonder ... the relationships hes forged with other members of the gang are quite interesting also the former leader seems to have been somewhat of a father figure to pinky and hes trying to forge that same relationship with Dallow (william hartnel) who is clearly the brains of the outfit and would be the leader of the mob if he wasn't scared of pinky as everyone is he knows fine well what pinky is capable of he gets a good indication in the first few minutes of the film. Pinky isn't used of people standing up to him and not fearing him he doesn't like the fact the town is now increasingly ran by colleani he hates it and the rest of the mob know if it wasn't for pinkies murderous reputation they'd be finished. Pinkies relationship with women also worth noting the only time he shows his wife anything but hostility is when hes hurt and wants mothering.1947 Was the year england took America's crown albeit briefly as the worlds finest producer of gangster films as this They Made Me A Fugitive and Black Memory stormed onto British screens, we had previously had a few films that dealt with small scale gangsters (the man from Chicago) and young hoodlums (bad boy) but we had always been weary of the kind of film America had been producing in fact the British censors blocked an attempt to produce a screen version of the play The Blue Cafe which dealt with organised crime in London's seedy Soho district and No Orchids For Mss Blandish was filmed in America complete with fake American accents but here finally in 1947 we were treat to a reflection of our own homegrown gangsters on screen no there's no ring of tommy gun fire but believe me the violence and sheer darkness of these films are just as gripping intense and shocking.To those who question attenboroughs legitimacy as a 17 year old saying hes unbelievable i say that its a cultural difference here people leave school at 16 (at the earliest) they can leave home get a job and start a family in fact i know people doing that right now and back then people were leaving school at 14 so yes attenboroughs performance is actually a lot more believable than you'd give it credit for.Flat out Masterpiece !!!