Nicholas Ray is not one of my favorite directors from the film noir era. I will concede that technically he was ahead of his time, but when it comes to storytelling, he couldn't help but be overly preachy.
"Knock on Any Door" starts off as a solid mystery. We are eager to find out if young criminal Nick Romano (John Derek in his first role) is guilty of murdering a cop during a botched robbery.
High-powered defense lawyer Andrew Morton (Humphrey Bogart) has a history with the family. His partner mishandled the trial of Nick's father, who died in prison after a heart attack.
Reluctantly, Andrew agrees to take Nick's case, plagued by guilt over his failure to oversee his father's trial. This decision is tough, as the law partners believe that handling such an open-and-shut criminal case will have a negative impact on the firm.
We learn about Nick's history and Andrew's past relationship with him during Andrew's opening statement. In reality, the extensive background presentation probably wouldn't have been allowed in a real trial.
Nevertheless, Ray manages to paint a picture of a criminal who is unable to break free from the hardcore lifestyle.
People, including Andrew's wife Adele (Candy Toxton), continuously give Nick chances. Adele had previously advocated for Nick and his family as their social worker.
The fishing trip that Andrew invites Nick on ends in disaster when Nick steals $100 from Andrew's wallet. Later, Andrew, a no-nonsense guy who grew up in the slums like Nick, beats him up (Nick eventually pays back the stolen money).
The "misunderstood" Nick meets a seemingly nice girl named Emma (played a little too perfectly by Allene Roberts). However, he disappoints her by struggling to hold a job and reverting to his gambling ways.
Then, Nick decides to leave town after attempting a stick-up at a train station. He suddenly changes his mind and plans to take Emma with him, only to find her dead after she turns on the gas in their apartment.
Unfortunately, the final courtroom scene lacks suspense, merely featuring a procession of witnesses affirming or denying Nick's presence at the crime scene.
The trial's conclusion is unexpected and twisted. After being relentlessly grilled by the District Attorney about his wife's suicide, Nick suddenly confesses.
However, Ray undermines the entire film by having Bogart's character blame society for Nick's behavior in his closing statement.
Perhaps it was a desperate attempt to save Nick from the electric chair, but this strategy contradicts Andrew's character-a man who managed to rise above a difficult upbringing.
There's something distasteful about Ray's "appeal" at the end of the film. Nothing is mentioned about the victim of the crime, and Nick's reprehensible behavior is consistently downplayed throughout.
Derek, who openly admitted to despising acting, delivers a standard performance here. In other words, he's no James Dean.
It's a shame that Bogart chose to embrace the role of a "bleeding heart liberal" in the film's final moments, as much of his earlier performance rang true.
"Knock on Any Door" starts off as a solid mystery. We are eager to find out if young criminal Nick Romano (John Derek in his first role) is guilty of murdering a cop during a botched robbery.
High-powered defense lawyer Andrew Morton (Humphrey Bogart) has a history with the family. His partner mishandled the trial of Nick's father, who died in prison after a heart attack.
Reluctantly, Andrew agrees to take Nick's case, plagued by guilt over his failure to oversee his father's trial. This decision is tough, as the law partners believe that handling such an open-and-shut criminal case will have a negative impact on the firm.
We learn about Nick's history and Andrew's past relationship with him during Andrew's opening statement. In reality, the extensive background presentation probably wouldn't have been allowed in a real trial.
Nevertheless, Ray manages to paint a picture of a criminal who is unable to break free from the hardcore lifestyle.
People, including Andrew's wife Adele (Candy Toxton), continuously give Nick chances. Adele had previously advocated for Nick and his family as their social worker.
The fishing trip that Andrew invites Nick on ends in disaster when Nick steals $100 from Andrew's wallet. Later, Andrew, a no-nonsense guy who grew up in the slums like Nick, beats him up (Nick eventually pays back the stolen money).
The "misunderstood" Nick meets a seemingly nice girl named Emma (played a little too perfectly by Allene Roberts). However, he disappoints her by struggling to hold a job and reverting to his gambling ways.
Then, Nick decides to leave town after attempting a stick-up at a train station. He suddenly changes his mind and plans to take Emma with him, only to find her dead after she turns on the gas in their apartment.
Unfortunately, the final courtroom scene lacks suspense, merely featuring a procession of witnesses affirming or denying Nick's presence at the crime scene.
The trial's conclusion is unexpected and twisted. After being relentlessly grilled by the District Attorney about his wife's suicide, Nick suddenly confesses.
However, Ray undermines the entire film by having Bogart's character blame society for Nick's behavior in his closing statement.
Perhaps it was a desperate attempt to save Nick from the electric chair, but this strategy contradicts Andrew's character-a man who managed to rise above a difficult upbringing.
There's something distasteful about Ray's "appeal" at the end of the film. Nothing is mentioned about the victim of the crime, and Nick's reprehensible behavior is consistently downplayed throughout.
Derek, who openly admitted to despising acting, delivers a standard performance here. In other words, he's no James Dean.
It's a shame that Bogart chose to embrace the role of a "bleeding heart liberal" in the film's final moments, as much of his earlier performance rang true.