Blu Ray Review: Force of Evil (1948)
Setting up his second independent production, a screen version of the novel Tucker’s People, John Garfield, along with Bob Roberts, took a chance on giving screenwriter Abraham Polonsky his first directing job. The result is Force of Evil (1948), which has just been released on blu ray in a stunning 4K restoration.
John Garfield plays Joe Morse, a lawyer working for a gangster, Ben Tucker (Roy Roberts). Tucker wants to control the numbers racket in New York, and that means little guys with smaller operations will be swallowed up and go out of business. Joe’s brother Leo (Thomas Gomez) runs one of the smaller operations. As planned, on the 4th of July when most numbers players pick the number 776, the number hits and the small businesses are bankrupted, allowing Tucker to take over. Leo realizes, against his better judgement, he must now align with Tucker, and Joe protects him. Joe is informed by Leo’s wife (Marie Windsor) that Leo’s phone is tapped. When Leo is kidnapped and dies while in custody, Joe realizes he must do something to redeem himself as a man.
Force of Evil raised the eyebrows of the House Un-American Activities Committee for their attacks on capitalism; taking broad themes, streamlining them, and placing them in the screenplay. It didn’t help that Abraham Polonsky would tell the press that his screenplay was an “autopsy of capitalism.” The dialog is sharp and witty, and Garfield spits out his lines with a rhythm that makes them truly come to life. Thomas Gomez turns in one of the finest performances of his career as brother Leo. Overweight, sweaty, and trembling with stressful anger, Gomez presents his character as focused, driven, but limited in success. Force of Evil is highlighted by newcomer Beatrice Pearson, a stage actress who only made two films (this is her first), choosing to concentrate on theater.
Force of Evil was selected to the National Film Registry in 1994, and has lived on as not only a quintessential example of post-war film noir, but as a response to the House Un-American Activities Committee by filmmakers who were eventually blacklisted. Kino’s blu ray is a 4K restoration is by Paramount Pictures UCLA and the Film Foundation. It includes an introduction by Martin Scorsese and an audio commentary by the always welcome and informative film historian Imogen Sara Smith.
It is available at this link: FORCE/EVIL