Raw Deal

A straightforward crime film that is lifted from mediocrity thanks to a great atmosphere, some amazing shots using light and darkness to their moodiest extent, and giving the voice-over to the female accomplice instead of the grizzled criminal. With a running time of little over 75 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome.

The thick atmosphere is the product of Alton's cinematography (masterful as always), Satwell's theremin-laced score and Claire Trevor's narration, her tone becoming more and more doomed. The look on her face speaks volumes, especially when she makes a crucial decision. Raymond Burr is here too, menacing as ever. The movie moves along briskly for the most part, has some gripping tension and interesting plays on the good girl/bad girl theme. Mighty fine stuff.

The nervous, eerie voice over and the expressive-as-fuck images - it's shot with such beauty! - makes it a peculiarly vivid and trancelike film.

A great noir. Dennis O'Keefe is as cool as Raymond Burr is icy. It's a nice variation that Joe Sullivan is, in a way, the hommes fatale, and that the story is narrated by his jealous girlfriend. Joe's decision to bring along both her and good girl Ann is a great way to instigate the plot. John Alton (who also lit 'The Big Combo' and 'T-Men') is one hell of a cinematographer.

Amazing lighting and cinematography. The plot is straightforward running from the authorities with a revenge ending. I didn't really see the chemistry with bad girl Claire Trevor so I never felt any sympathy for her and felt his choice to stick with her at the end unsatisfactory. I will use this film to demonstrate Film Noir to others. Fav scene: guy who got his wooden wagon stolen takes their convertible in turn and does a pretty good job carving up the twisted mountainside road in pursuit.

Stunning cinematography. Dark shadows all the way through with just enough light at the right moments for little glimmers, shadows and brooding haze. Beyond the noir contrasts, the camera captures space really well, or rather lack of it. The shots are framed tightly giving just enough information to give a sense of hope without ever letting go of the tension and fear that surrounds the characters through their run from the law. Really strong performances too from all three leads, and Burr.

Excellent for such a low-budget feature. The assisting roles of the two women elevate the tension. Really thoughtfully shot, as well.

date viewed: 8/29/10. solid noir with great cinematography. the voice-over by claire trevor was interesting as well. burr is creepy cool as rick. verdict: recommended.

Absolutely gorgeous, and with a few greats twists on the usual noir plot.

"Bullets! Women... Can't hold a man like this!" That's exactly what this piece is all about. The noir-trio (Trevor, O'Keefe, Hunt) perform very nicely shaped characters and work beautifully together. It's not the action itself, it's the tension-that-builds that's so awesome about the film.

Cinematographer John Alton is the real star here. In terms of script, direction, cast, etc. this is actually a quite ordinary crime picture, but for a man well-known for working fast and on a budget, Alton gives us a lot of images you'd like to hang on your wall

Took a while before I appreciated Dennis O'Keefe in a tough guy role. He's a guy I mostly associate with lightweight comedies, not as runaway convicts. so it was definitely the two dames, Claire Trevor & Marsha Hunt that initially carried the Raw Deal (1948) for me, until O'Keefe's performance caught-up with me. So credit to Anthony Mann for building the tensions up here. Grows into a grueling crime drama.

The scenes where they're camping and hiding out in the forest are just beautiful. Same with the final shootout in the fog filled slum of San Francisco. Liked the flipped femme fatale role. The mob boss was great too. A scared, but violent man. You can use the low angle shots to make Burr look even bigger than he was, but you can't hide his eyes. Mann at his best

This very low budget crime flick from Anthony Mann has pretty astonishing cinematography by John Alton and is pretty packed with fairly brutal action and eccentric locations. Burr is an astonishingly loathsome villain who, among other things, throws a flaming punch bowl on Chili Williams when he's annoyed with Ireland.

The use of lighting in this movie is breathtaking. It takes a below average story and makes it interesting. Cinematographer John Alton did some excellent work in this film.

Viewed July 8, 2019.

I wish I could've seen a better print, because the cinematography is outstanding. The film's pivotal love triangle is an interesting take on the femme fatale trope, and Claire Trevor's sullen and soft-spoken narration is something unique as well.

Climax had me like Felton Perry at the end of RoboCop.

This is basically a who's who of film noir, but it's Claire Trevor in particular who stands out. Her hushed narration and the fragile desperation of her character, together with the strange music and the claustrophobic photography, combine to make a truly atmospheric experience.

Quite good.

they took a chance by giving the voiceover narration to the least interesting of the main characters. it sort of works, but there are points where the focus of the story is clearly elsewhere and Pat's voiceover feels obtrusive

The cinematography is some of the best in the business. John Alton is at the helm here and his work adds a much needed extra dimension to the picture. It's hard to get excited about Raw Deal because O'Keefe's character isn't that interesting, and at the end of the day the whole thing revolves around the audience getting behind him.

Star Rating: ★★★1/2

Conceivably a good thriller/action film when this first screened--that would no longer be the case for modern viewers. However, all the "action" is in the characters and actors that portray them--particularly, the development of the relationships as well as the character details that gradually come to the surface. I wasn't expecting that from a b-movie. I liked all the actors in the leading roles, but Clare Trevor may stand out--as she won my sympathy shen she could have easily annoyed me. ps69

Anthony Mann #6 da semana. DVD Versátil Filme Noir Volume 1.

A lesser effort from Anthony Mann, with a rudimentary plot but striking cinematography from John Alton. It's a movie where the hero is only less evil than the villains, and it's downbeat, dark, and low-budget. The bare-bones plot is strictly a means to visually represent a loser who's trying to "crawl out from under a pile of rocks" society has buried him.