POWERFUL; Not a scratch in the movie.

Rating: 9/10 (23 September 1999)

This powerful movie captures the essence of the people who inhabit the netherworld between respectability and the dregs of society. The characters are well defined and believable, the situations are real, and all the actors(main and supporting)are convincing. All aspects of the movie wind it tighter than a 10 year old substitute being asked to sink the winning basket for a CYO championship.
Paul Newman was at the top of his game, George C. Scott gave a preview of greatness to come, Jackie Gleason once again teased us with what we might have seen if he brought his considerable talents to movies more often,and Piper Laurie showed she was much more than a pretty face.
This movie along with such classics as "The Third Man","Touch of Evil" and "Red River" shows how black and white films utilize the black and white format to add to the overall feeling of the movie. It would be criminal to convert any of these or selected other black and white classics to color.