Force of Evil
Screening on Film
Directed by Abraham Polonsky.
With John Garfield, Thomas Gomez, Roy Roberts.
US, 1948, 35mm, black & white, 78 min.
Print source: HFA
With John Garfield, Thomas Gomez, Roy Roberts.
US, 1948, 35mm, black & white, 78 min.
Print source: HFA
Before they were victimized by the Hollywood blacklist, actor John Garfield and writer/director Abraham Polonsky collaborated on two of the more daring films produced in 1940s Hollywood. Force of Evil marked Polonsky's directorial debut and focuses on growing corruption in the booming postwar economy. Garfield portrays a smooth-talking mob lawyer who tries to devise a way to consolidate the numbers racket at the expense of legitimate businessman like his brother (Gomez), who struggles to keep his small business operational within the boundaries of the law. A noir with a strong political agenda, the film nearly disappeared until it was championed by Martin Scorsese, who often cited it as a major influence on his own work.
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