No Way Out (Fox Film Noir)
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Movie Reviews of No Way Out (Fox Film Noir)
Movie Review: early Poitier performance
Summary: 5 Stars
this was Poitier's first film role and a powerful one. Sidney poitier gives an excellent performance for his his film debut. it's a shame that he didn't receive at least 2nd billing. of course this is probably due to the era the film was released (1950). in addition to Poitier's stellar performance, Richard Widmark also gives an outstanding performance of his own, another early film appearance. Widmark assumes the role of a hateful bigot so well, one can't resist loathing him for his detestable racial ignorance. all actors involved are equally as great. don't miss this one.
as for the DVD, excellent transfer.
Movie Review: No Way Out Was...Great All The Way!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Sidney Poitier's 1st film happens to be 1 of his greatest. Richard Widmark also gave 1 of the best performances of his career. This was a stellar film, with a great cast and an awesome plot. Way before it's time and sadly...not well known. It was an awesome purchase and a great addition to my classic movie collection! I highly recommend it to anyone that loves film noir or great film making in general.Movie Review: No way out
Summary: 5 Stars
Very powerful movie for it's time and subject matter acted perfeclty by Widmark and Sidney.Movie Review: Excellent Service
Summary: 5 Stars
This vendor provided excellent prompt service at a very reasonable price. I recommend it.Movie Review: Drama masquerading as film noir
Summary: 4 Stars
One of the more interesting of the 1950 film noirs is this drama starring Richard Widmark, Linda Darnell and, in his screen debut, Sidney Poitier whose West Indian accent shows up here and there to let the closely-listening viewer know he's black, but definitely not American.
Be that as it may, this is a solid, well thought out piece of filmmaking co-scripted and directed by Joseph Mankiewicz. The powerful social theme of racism is a major one in this film--so much so that the "N" word is used quite a few times--and there's a full scale race riot depicted as well, which is, needless to say, really daring for a 1950 film.
The only real reason this is labelled film noir is that the Richard Widmark character, Ray Biddle, is a criminal who, along with his brother John, was both shot (in the leg) and caught by the cops, then put up in the local hospital where Luther Brooks (Poitier) is the most promising intern in the place--according to the chief surgeon, Wharton (Stephen McNally).
Widmark, as usual, turns in a fine performance, but the real stars of the show are, it seems to me, Linda Darnell and Sidney Poitier. Darnell is interesting here because unlike her typical femme fatale role, she plays down (to whatever extent she can, which is tough) her obvious feminine features by wearing dowdy clothes and de-emphasizing her makeup, and is really convincing as a tough broad living in a neighborhood about one level above Skid Row--maybe two. Poitier has a strong screen presence and even with some awkwardness here and there is more than convincing as a man torn between his ethnic heritage and his obvious intelligence in his demanding profession.
Widmark's character Ray Biddle is a vicious racist and blames Dr. Brooks (Poitier) for his brother John's death, which was clearly caused by a brain tumor--totally unrelated to his getting shot in the leg by the same cop who shot Ray in the leg. Ray incites the male residents of Beaver Canal--the one-level-above-Skid Row neighborhood--to go after the blacks in their neighborhood; hence, the riot.
The four stars are primarily for the startling degree of foresight and boldness of subject matter, as well as the strong performances by Poitier and Darnell, as well as Widmark. This is a surprisingly good movie--not what I would personally call film noir, but which has lasted the test of time with that monicker stuck to it.
Whatever category you put it in, it's definitely worth seeing.