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★ 9 / 10
My heart bleeds for you. How can I
John Chard
My heart bleeds for you. How can I help you Inspector, buy a few tickets to the policemen's ball? Right from the off there's a realistic feel to the film that…
My heart bleeds for you. How can I help you Inspector, buy a few tickets to the policemen's ball?
Right from the off there's a realistic feel to the film that immediately draws you in. Be it the characters being acted out so deftly, or the whole composition of director Robert Wise's work, it's quite something and sets the viewer up a treat. It somehow manages to put you in there with Barbara Graham so as to make you feel all the emotions that Graham herself feels.
The plot is based around the murky life of Barbara Graham and the subsequent trial that would culminate in her execution, all of which is decidedly dark and troubling. Broken home upbringing (merely alluded to here) right through drugs, perjury, prostitution, shilling, robbery and ultimately murder? It's all in there, yet why does the viewer feel complete sympathy with Barbara? Could it be that she is portrayed as a victim of society? Or merely that it's just so shattering watching this woman get knocked from pillar to post at every turn? Either way the film is a triumph of a character piece, an explosive look at the destruction of one woman's hopes and dreams, a murky peek at the impact that the press can have on such trials, as they turn them into national parties and the accused into national stars.
As a criminal biography it is handled adroitly, maybe too much so? For the makers here hint at Graham actually being innocent, and yet nothing substantial is offered up so a to put meat on the bones of such a hint. Other than Graham's own repeated claims of innocence, it's just comes off as a daft slant for the film to aim for, especially since any research into the real life case leads you to finding her out as being guilty anyway. It's a minor complaint though, hell most of my favourite films of all time are historically twisted, and since so much is great and right with the film it would be churlish of me to not advocate it as a must see for anyone remotely interested in classic film history.
Susan Hayward gives a faultless display as Graham, she nails every emotional tick of the human condition. Her feisty shows are a pure delight, whilst her scenes of heartbreak and bewilderment look genuine and are up with the best in classic film. Oh yes the academy got this one right, a long overdue Oscar for Susan Hayward. She took on a lot of edgy roles in her career, a great actress for sure. The academy simply found it impossible to ignore such a layered masterclass back in 1958. The rest of the cast are splendid, and I would be doing a disservice if I didn't mention the wonderful jazz arrangement from Johnny Mandel (well done Gerry Mulligan) that tones in perfect with the film's sizzles and sadness.
It looks and sounds fantastic and holds you enthral from the first reel right through to the last. And what a final reel, where come the denouement you may find yourself holding your breath along with Barbara herself. A truly superb piece of film making. 9/10
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★ 8 / 10
A true dramatic showcase for the fabulous Susan Hayward
boy-13
Susan Hayward really knew how to pick a good role. From the intensity of 1947's "Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman", to the gutsiness of 1955's "I'll Cry…
Susan Hayward really knew how to pick a good role. From the intensity of 1947's "Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman", to the gutsiness of 1955's "I'll Cry Tomorrow", to everything in between, Hayward left a legacy of amazing characters. Even when the role was horrid (such as 1967's trash-fest "Valley of the Dolls"), Hayward was a real trooper and made it work. Always one to tackle unusual and, oftentimes, unglamorous roles, Hayward really got a chance to sink her teeth into this one - and received an Oscar for her efforts.
In this tough-to-take biopic, Hayward plays Barbara Graham, a party girl who gets in over her head with drug use, prostitution, perjury, and various other illegal acts. As a known "goodtime girl", she has a reputation with the local authorities. One brilliant sequence has the police tracking Barbara across town - apparent fellow neighbors are actually tapped and following her every move. Finally, a supposedly innocent "Babs" gets thrown in the slammer for the brutal murder of an elderly woman. Losing her sense of freedom and any contact with her baby boy, Barbara's life goes from bad (on the street) to worse (in jail). Watching Barbara act-up and defy authority in the prison is actually funny, but what happens next to this wild woman is no laughing matter. Things get as bad as they possibly can when Barbara realizes that she may have to face the gas chamber.
Hayward goes all out in portraying this fascinating character and is totally over-the-top, but completely on target, right up until the very end - and what an ending it is! It'll send shivers up your spine, and the images will linger in your head long after the show is over. The dark, moody photography is top-notch, although the rambunctious jazz score wears out its welcome.
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★ 7 / 10
An extraordinary performance by Susan Hayward.
Chuck-149
Many people recognize Susan Hayward as a great actress but if you ask them in what movie they thought she was remarkable, they'll usually tell you that they…
Many people recognize Susan Hayward as a great actress but if you ask them in what movie they thought she was remarkable, they'll usually tell you that they can't remember any particular classic in which she played. They'll tell you that they think she is a great actress for all the movies and roles in her career. Let's face it. She never played in a classic. There isn't one movie on AFI's top 100 list that stares her. But if you ask anybody what her best performance was, anybody will answer that it was her role as Barbara Graham in "I want to live". Sure the movie's not a classic. But she totally deserved the best actress Oscar she won for her role in it.
Barbara Graham (Hayward) is a tough, wisecracking prostitute. A real party-girl. Even when she gets arrested for murder, she keeps on joking around and p***ing-off the cops. But when she realizes that this thing is going to court and that if she's convicted, she could be executed in the gas-chamber, she doesn't see things the same way anymore. And when she thinks she has found a man that is willing to testify that she was with him on the night of the murder, he gets her to tell him that she was present at the scene of the crime. She tells him all this. But when he is summoned in court, he is the prosecution's witness and he appears to be a cop who has trapped her into telling all the evidence the prosecution needs to convict her.
Robert Wise's directing is pretty good but the two things that make this one worth watching are the music and Hayward's performance. John Mandel's choice of the blues for the music is excellent and allows us to hang on with Barbara until her very last second alive. Be forewarned: This one is 100% of a tear-jerker and requires nerves of steel to make it through the whole thing without crying. If you like Hayward, see it at all costs. However, Robert Wise has directed some better ones like "West side story" for example. But still, it's pretty good.
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Another Robert Wise masterpiece. Great story but fictionalized and much damning evidence left out for dramatic effect. She was definitely guilty in real life.