I watched "The Gangster" because of those wily tricksters at TCM, who do such a great job setting up all of their movies that you feel like you simply can't miss whatever terrific gem is on next. "The Gangster" was part of their "Summer of Darkness" series, a series devoted to my favorite film genre: film noir. But "The Gangster" is not a noir, nor is it even a gangster movie. It's more like the character study of someone who happens to be a gangster, and it's pretty underwhelming stuff. Barry Sullivan is the titular character, a heavy with a serious case of self doubt. Around him float a supporting cast of more or less pathetic loners, and the film plays like an examination of the loneliness to be found on the crowded city streets, a loneliness that persists despite being constantly surrounded by fellow human beings. That's a noir theme, but it isn't given a noir treatment by director Gordon Wiles, who won an art direction Oscar in 1931-32 for "Transatlantic." The TCM host said that his production design background is evident in his direction, as the film looks more like a play than a movie. Boy does it, and it's impossible to stage a film noir this way, since noir is, above anything else, cinematic.
But my disappointment in "The Gangster" lies not only in the false advertising of TCM. On its own terms it's still not much more than a mediocre, rather slow movie.
Grade: C+
But my disappointment in "The Gangster" lies not only in the false advertising of TCM. On its own terms it's still not much more than a mediocre, rather slow movie.
Grade: C+