6/10
Another vastly overrated mafia-type flick
8 February 2017
You would think the equilibrium for cinema would be more than a mere one two punch sort of combo, that for a great film to be made it'd be required that it would master a number of things, not simply make sure it contains a couple things.

Here, Marlon Brando plays the sensitive big man, ex-prize fighter. The whole idea of the film is there's a mafia in town that's forcing an omerta city-wide and a few like a priest or others are standing in its way calling it out for its oppressive ways. So far, nothing revolutionary. Brando and Eva Marie Saint and the other actors all do a really good job at their roles. So far, we're at standard level.

Brando is linked to some key members of the 'mafia' mob including the big boss and tries to help out Saint's character, who's lost her brother earlier in the film. So he's torn between trying to help her out from goodness of heart and purity, and keeping his mouth shut; this is a major crucial theme in the film: you're either a "D n d (deaf and dumb) or a "canary" (a squealer).

The film is basically a constant strain between silence and speaking out the truth, but at no moment, despite the dramatic climaxes and attempts to draw in the viewer, is that theme explored in an interesting or particular light; we're just given these most obvious, common narrative and theme which are fine but by no stretch of the imagination anything unique or above 'good' in quality.

So as explained earlier in this text, sometimes you just need to put a couple of things together: good acting, an obvious but engaging theme, with a mafia-type environment. The film is well constructed enough, but not anymore than an endless myriad of others.

6.5/10.
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