12/30/2023 0 Comments Key largo movie gunsHuston's biggest achievement is maintaining a tone of suspense throughout the running time. There are some carefully used tracking shots and extreme close-ups for artistic purposes that work perfectly and the film on Blu-Ray looks very pleasing to the eye. Although Huston doesn't use too many attention seeking shots or too much fancy camera work, one can easily see the noir-ish elements in the lighting and prominent shadows in the film. It takes a lot to be in the same scene with Bogart and go toe to toe with him in terms of exuding authoritativeness, but Robinson does it effortlessly. Johnny Rocco oozes charisma and a sense of control. Robinson is a dynamite in every scene he is in. Nora's presence and her innocent sweetness has an undeniable effect on McCloud which makes him reconsider his moral stance and contemplate the idea doing something instead of continuing his reluctance about standing up to the gangsters. There are genuinely sweet and charming moments between Bogart and Bacall. Instead of being the 'Femme fatale' with the seductive allure and the sharp tongue, her character Nora is a sweet, kind-hearted widow taking care of her father-in-law. Lauren Bacall doesn't give us the quintessential 'Lauren Bacall' performance either. There is an ambiguity to his character that makes him interesting. But McCloud also shows signs of selfishness and cowardly reluctance which are a consequence of his pessimism towards life after war. Bogart gives a subdued performance with moments of tenderness reminiscent of the tenderness of Rick Blaine in 'Casablanca'. He is a sane version of Travis Bickle, he might have been a vibrant, hopeful man in his pre-service days, but after coming back from the war and watching an America that has further collapsed into corruption, mob activity and evil, he has slipped into a state of depression and deliberate indifference. McCloud is a war veteran who has now become a homeless drifter due to his lack of interest in a settled life. This is not a very characteristic role for Bogart. This is epitomised by the character of Frank McCloud played by Humphrey Bogart. It's about the loss of a self-respecting identity. John Huston's 'Key Largo' is set in a Post World War II America and the film is unapologetic about showcasing the pessimism that had enveloped America and Americans after the war. Who could have known this would be the fourth, last, and best of the Bogey and Bacall teamings. They play well against each other in a reverse from the 1930s Warner gangster flicks where Robinson was usually the good guy. He's evil incarnate and Humphrey Bogart as Frank McCloud is the jaded, cynical former idealist who redeems himself and becomes the countervailing force for good. Robinson's Johnny Rocco is based on Lucky Luciano who had been deported a few years back. The shock value of that scene for 1948 audiences would have a dimension that can't be appreciated now. He swings and misses and falls down and Bogey and Bacall pick up Barrymore and bring him back to his wheelchair. When Robinson and his goons goad him to a futile gesture of bravado, Barrymore rises from that chair and moves slowly towards the snickering Robinson. Lionel Barrymore had been acting from a wheelchair for 10 years and movie audiences were used to that. There is one scene however that I don't think viewers today can fully appreciate. Movie goers had to be on the edge of their seats in 1948. Robinson and his hoods take everyone hostage in Lionel Barrymore's hotel there is a tension that does not let up for one second. My favorite Bogart movie is also Key Largo.
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