MovieChat Forums > Key Largo (1948) Discussion > What a wonderful film...my favorite 1940...

What a wonderful film...my favorite 1940s thriller

posted 12 years ago by don-lockwood
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Just saw this last night. Wow. I can't remember the last time I was so wowed by a film's writing, direction, and acting all in one. I'm going to have to reevaluate my personal top 100 film list because KEY LARGO definitely deserves a slot. It's one of the best scripts I've ever seen, and one of the strongest ensembles too.

As for '40s thrillers, people rave about DOUBLE INDEMNITY and THE MALTESE FALCON, and for good reason. They're brilliantly constructed plots with some iconic characterizations. But for me, personally, KEY LARGO takes the cake. I was never not completely entranced by what was happening onscreen. There were no lulls. Very few film scripts are that tight.

I also love films set in confined spaces. I feel that such settings build suspense and create fascinating, layered dynamics among all of the characters, no matter what the genre. I'm thinking films as diverse as LIFEBOAT, ALIEN, TITANIC, SHIP OF FOOLS, THE HAUNTING, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, and CLUE.

Just wanted to share a glowing review of this film. I know it's recognized as a (lesser) Bogart/Huston classic, but I don't think it gets the praise it deserves.

[–] kbarada 12 years ago

Great review don. Yes I agree with everything you said. It is riveting. I think we can thank Edward G. Robinson for really putting this movie over the top. It's like having a live rattlesnake slithering around in the cramped quarters, never knowing how or when he will strike!

[–] don-lockwood 12 years ago

Thank you. Yes, Robinson was amazing. I'm not too familiar with his work; he was terrific in DOUBLE INDEMNITY, and I remember him being in THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, but I've never seen him do the gangster act. I don't care if it was something he had done countless times before, but he was still snubbed for an Oscar nomination for this performance. He created one of the all-time great movie villains and made him so multidimensional with his flaws and insecurities. Everything about this film, especially the acting, felt so "in the moment," spontaneous, as opposed to many films of the era which seem mannered today.