Curapedi
I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.
Bergorks
If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.
Usamah Harvey
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Antonius Block
A deeply satisfying noir, with a gritty cop (Glenn Ford), femme fatale (Gloria Grahame), and powerful crime bosses (Lee Marvin and Alexander Scourby). I love how hardboiled this one is, with Ford becoming suspicious after some discrepancies in a fellow cop's suicide, and a woman getting viciously murdered. He's soon fighting upstream against a wave of corruption, and then getting threatened himself, but I won't say more about the plot. All of the performances are terrific. Ford is a sweet and decent guy with his family, brave and unflinching in confronting evil, and tough when he needs to be - tiptoeing along the line of being too tough in some cases, the moral ambiguity of which is interesting. Grahame is just delightful, particularly in the scene where she shimmies about during cocktail hour. Of the villains, Lee Marvin plays a sadist very well, and is explosive in every scene he's in. Director Fritz Lang harnesses it all well, including the strong script based on William P. McGivern's novel, and the pace is perfect. I loved how the film was clear enough to follow, but at the same time, had quite a bit of depth to it. Great stuff, and clearly influential.
daleholmgren
Fritz Lang was at his zenith here, sucking the viewer in to Glenn Ford's rage against the corrupt cops and politicians he works for. Ford's seething anger virtually jumps off the screen. Gloria Grahame in probably her greatest role. Each scene raises the tension level masterfully. This is what Hollywood movies are all about.
Greg Helton
The world this movie presents is like a five year old's understanding of the world. Bad guys have paintings of their mothers on the wall. The married couple come across like they're in a margarine commercial. Seasoned cops hear a rumor and twist it into something completely unrelated. Lee Marvin is not believable as a nervous coward when confronted by Glenn Ford. There's a good scene with veteran actor Peter Whitney as the bartender.
Christopher Reid
The Big Heat starts out as many crime films do. A detective investigates a death which could possibly be a murder and gradually things become more complicated. But usually, you get a whodunnit where everyone acts suspicious and slowly a mystery unravels and a culprit is found. The end. But here, we jump head-first into a major battle between a cop and a mob syndicate. The tone is ominous and the people and places are dangerous. But our hero is not happy to do as he's told and he can't stand being surrounded by those that do (because they're afraid).Movies maintain your interest with tension and changes to the situation. The plot moves and it keeps you involved. Some movies feel slow at times or predictable. If nothing is happening, the suspense fades away. The Big Heat contains many events that can be quite shocking and which shift the balance of power and motivation for the characters. It keeps getting more interesting. It can feel inevitable in retrospect, but the first time it's full of surprises.I really like Glenn Ford as Bannion. He seems like a good, passionate cop and a kind and caring husband and father. I was genuinely moved by his performance in several scenes. But that's also thanks to the direction, the story and the other performances. Jocelyn Brando (Marlon's older sister) is very good, a loving wife but in a real kind of way not a cheesy way. Gloria Grahame and Lee Marvin are excellent as well and bring lots of energy and character to their roles (I don't know how else to word it).I felt like some of the scenes were a bit typical at first (giving so much attention to an attractive woman, showing intimate family moments) but as the film progresses, you see that everything is there for a reason. What is white without black? You need contrast, a background, a context. Loss is not appreciated without seeing what is lost. An empty room has meaning if you know what used to be in it. Every scene in this movie serves a purpose. We might not be told the purpose, but we feel it in the greater scope of the whole film.The Big Heat is riveting all the way through. There is real menace and a feeling that anything could happen. It holds no punches - I was really affected by certain scenes, they have real impact and involve you even more in the film. There are a number of interesting similarities with The Dark Knight, another great film where a man takes the mob head on and tries to put an end to corruption and crime. Anyway, I immensely enjoyed it. It's uncompromising but very rewarding and entertaining. One of my new favourite movies.
