The Enforcer
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Movie Reviews of The Enforcer
Movie Review: Intriguing Thriller Inspired by the Infamous "Murder, Inc."
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Enforcer" stars Humphrey Bogart as a prosecutor Martin Ferguson, who tried for 4 years without success to build a case against gangster Albert Mendoza (Everett Sloan) until one of Mendoza's underlings, Joseph Rico (Ted de Corsia), agreed to testify against him. The night before he is to take the witness stand, and in spite of every effort to protect him, Rico dies. Now, without a star witness, Ferguson is determined to find something on Mendoza before the case is dismissed. He and Police Captain Nelson (Roy Roberts) spend the night sifting through volumes of case files they have collected on Mendoza. The film flashes back to the beginning of the investigation into the many murders committed by Mendoza and his "troupe", and works its way forward, eventually bringing us back to the present.
"The Enforcer" was inspired by the real-life Murder, Inc., the arm of the organized crime syndicate that did contract killing in the early 1930s through mid-1940s. In fact, the film was released under the title "Murder, Inc." outside of the United States. Murder, Inc. was founded by the infamous Bugsy Siegal and Meyer Lansky as an efficient way of eliminating problems in the syndicate, in particular police informants. At its height, the organization employed hundreds of hit men recruited from Brooklyn neighborhoods. Good pay and excellent benefits, including legal representation, made the men loyal. Murder Inc.'s success depended on the murderers having no connection to the victims and no apparent motive, which made it nearly impossible for authorities to find the killers, let alone convict them. Murder Inc.'s downfall began when Abe "Kid Twist" Reles decided to squeal to King's County District Attorney William O'Dwyer in return for a light sentence. The character of Joseph Rico seems to be based loosely on Reles, who fell to his death from a Coney Island hotel window in 1941. Martin Ferguson seems to have been inspired by William O'Dwyer, whose successful prosecution of organized crime made him a celebrity and then Mayor of New York 1946-1950.
Often categorized as film noir, "The Enforcer" does start out that way, but quickly becomes a more straightforward crime thriller, only hinting at cynicism and devoid of introversion. Joseph Rico is the most noir of the characters, on the run from his past, but caged and in more danger from his own impulses than anything else. Martin Ferguson is stoic, single-minded, and strikingly cruel when he wants to be. His methods of getting information allude to the extortion that O'Dwyer and others used to break Murder, Inc. "The Enforcer" is famous for being the first film to use the words "contract" and "hit" and to address the subject of "murder for profit". Bretaigne Windust is credited as the film's director, but he fell ill during the shoot and was replaced by Raoul Walsh, who is believed to have directed some key scenes, including the ending. The film's only real fault is some temporal confusion after the first act. I found it difficult to tell whether some scenes were flashbacks or in present time. But "The Enforcer" is an intense thriller inspired by intriguing events that were in recent memory when the film was made.
The DVD (Republic 2003): Picture and sound quality are good on this print. The only bonus feature is a theatrical trailer (2 1/2 minutes). No subtitles.
Movie Review: Bogie
Summary: 4 Stars
who can turn down another Bogart movie - not I. I love all his movies and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan.Movie Review: The Enforcer
Summary: 4 Stars
Bogart is true to form. He is a character that either you love him or not. I love him. Very good.Movie Review: second string bogie
Summary: 3 Stars
Elsewhere in this space I have noted my love for film noir. The black and white photography, the story lines, the sparse and functional language. However, not all film noir is created equal and that is the case here. Humphrey Bogart was a classic match for the genre-tough, rugged, resolute, resourceful and always loyal to a pal come what may. Here he plays a little against type as the do good but hard-headed assistant district attorney sworn to break up what at the time was called Murder, Incorporated, a seemingly motiveless murder for profit operation. I suppose if one wanted to stretch the point it might seem a metaphor for the capitalist system. But even as metaphor it is rather ham-handed. The only thing that saves this one is that as the plot unfolds in a flashback you get a look at how all the pieces fit together about how the bad guys did it and how justice was done in the case. But mainly put this one on the back burner.
Movie Review: Great Bogie-NO, Good Bogie-YES
Summary: 3 Stars
After viewing Casablanca or Key Largo, this flick lets the audience down slowly. If Bogie never made a bad movie, and he probably didn't, the acting doesn't come up short, but the plot does. Ifthe viewer just wants to view as many of Bogies movies as possible, then this film is worth a look-see, but don't epect the classic Humprey Bogart here ?
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