An interesting look at heroin addiction, lacking the power and gravitas of the boozy nightmare that was THE LOST WEEKEND, but nonetheless a well-made and well-directed film from Otto Preminger. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM sees Frank Sinatra playing an ex-con who works as a dealer in illegal card games but dreams of becoming a famous musician. Unfortunately, he's also a former heroin addict who must attempt to resist the temptation of another fix.
This kind of story tends to write itself and indeed there aren't many surprises in the narrative. Sinatra is adequate as the lead, but I found his character rather underwritten and difficult to warm to. He has a lot of negative qualities but few genuinely likable elements to his personality. Still, with a plot-driven film such as this, such lightness of characterisation is easy to overlook when the rest of the plot ingredients are so interesting.
The supporting characters are enlivened by some actors giving very good performances. Particularly fine are Kim Novak (in a dry run for VERTIGO) as the object of Sinatra's obsession and Darren McGavin (THE NIGHT STALKER) in an early part as a completely amoral drug dealer. My favourite character is the morally murky Eleanor Parker playing Sinatra's wife who has a few hidden secrets of her own; she gets all of the best scenes and is involved in the dark heart of the movie. The set-piece in which Sinatra attempts to kick the habit is dramatic, but Hackman had it beat in THE FRENCH CONNECTION 2. Still, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM is a very well made film, one that's there's no reason to dislike.
This kind of story tends to write itself and indeed there aren't many surprises in the narrative. Sinatra is adequate as the lead, but I found his character rather underwritten and difficult to warm to. He has a lot of negative qualities but few genuinely likable elements to his personality. Still, with a plot-driven film such as this, such lightness of characterisation is easy to overlook when the rest of the plot ingredients are so interesting.
The supporting characters are enlivened by some actors giving very good performances. Particularly fine are Kim Novak (in a dry run for VERTIGO) as the object of Sinatra's obsession and Darren McGavin (THE NIGHT STALKER) in an early part as a completely amoral drug dealer. My favourite character is the morally murky Eleanor Parker playing Sinatra's wife who has a few hidden secrets of her own; she gets all of the best scenes and is involved in the dark heart of the movie. The set-piece in which Sinatra attempts to kick the habit is dramatic, but Hackman had it beat in THE FRENCH CONNECTION 2. Still, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM is a very well made film, one that's there's no reason to dislike.