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Brute Force main poster

Brute Force

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7.3/10 • 186

1947-07-161h 38m

CrimeDramaThriller

Power Packed Picture!

Timeworn Joe Collins and his fellow inmates live under the heavy thumb of the sadistic, power-tripping guard Captain Munsey. Only Collins' dreams of escape keep him going, but how can he possibly bust out of Munsey's chains?

Directors
Jules Dassin
Editors
Edward Curtiss

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Burt Lancaster

    Burt Lancaster

    Joe Collins

  2. Hume Cronyn

    Hume Cronyn

    Capt. Munsey

  3. Charles Bickford

    Charles Bickford

    Gallagher

  4. Yvonne De Carlo

    Yvonne De Carlo

    Gina Ferrara

  5. Ann Blyth

    Ann Blyth

    Ruth

  6. Ella Raines

    Ella Raines

    Cora Lister

  7. Anita Colby

    Anita Colby

    Flossie

  8. Sam Levene

    Sam Levene

    Louie Miller #7033

  9. Jeff Corey

    Jeff Corey

    'Freshman' Stack

Reviews1

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John Chard Avatar

John Chard

May 30, 2015

9/10

Prison Noir! This is Westgate Penitentiary, the Warden is a weak man, the prison is practically run by the cruel and highly ambitious Captain Munsey. But the prisoners are no walk overs, they deal their own justice to those that don't tow the line, tired and fed up of mistreatment, and fuelled by the Munsey influenced suicide of a popular inmate, the prisoners, led by big Joe Collins, plot a break out, the fear of failure not even an option. Brute Force is a cracking moody picture directed with innovation by Jules Dassin and starring Burt Lancaster (brilliant as Joe Collins), Hume Cronyn (Munsey), Charles Bickford (Gallagher) and lady support (shown in excellent flashbacks) from Yvonne De Carlo, Ann Blyth, Ella Raines and Anita Colby. We open in the pouring rain at the monolithic gates of Westgate Penitentiary, Dassin's camera looking up at the gate like some foreboding warning, William Daniels black and white photography is stark and making its point, all this as Miklos Rozsa's score thunders in our ears, it's clear that this is going to be a mean and moody prison picture. So it proves to be, sure all the formula traits that lace most prison films are in here, but Dassin and his team have managed to harness an oppressive feel to put us the viewer within the walls of Westgate as well. This is a bleak place, there are six men to a prison cell, their only chance of staying sane is memories of loved ones and a unified spirit to not be put upon by the vile Munsey, we are privy to everything, we ourselves are part of the furniture. Brute Force thankfully doesn't disappoint with its ending, the tension has been built up perfectly, the mood is set, so when the ending comes it's explosive and a truly fitting finale to what has been a first rate prison drama. 9/10

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
prison cellprison guardfilm noirprison riot