Steineded How sad is this?

Skunkyrate Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Memorergi good film but with many flaws

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

jandesimpson "I never knew the old" Brighton "before the war" with its razor-slashing protectionist race gangs, crooked lawyers and ineffective police. We seldom travelled out of London. "I really got to know it in" those post-war days of safe family holidays by the sea - the excitement of the beach, ice cream sodas on the West Pier, cinemas in the evening.....(No prize for recognising my reference to the opening of the great film that appeared two years later!)Part of my fascination with the 1947 "Brighton Rock" is of course affection for a place I grew to love and know so well during the course of many happy vacations with my parents in those far-off days. I was even drawn to eventually settle in a sort of mini-Brighton complete with Regency squares and balconies and the sound of screaming seagulls, 37 miles along the coast to the east. But I digress.....What particularly surprised me on a recent viewing of the film was not only how well it has worn, but the extreme darkness of its nightmare vision of a gangster-ridden society. For a British film of the late '40's it is unusually violent and shot through with a bleakness that outstrips much of the Hollywood noir of the period. Was there ever a more vicious young thug than Richard Attenborough's enormously effective portrayal of the 17 year old Pinkie Brown who runs his protectionist racket from a seedy backstreet dwelling? Pointless to write at length when so much has already been written. (An excellent user comment on this site from laika-lives says it all). Simply let me record my admiration for the Boulting Brothers, especially John the director, for demonstrating an understanding of pacing and montage that almost equals the best work of the great Carol Reed, particularly in the terrific opening quarter of an hour when the unfortunate and terrified Fred is finally tracked down to meet his doom on the Ghost Train at the end of Palace Pier. They don't seem to do sequences like this with such style any more. A good enough reason, I would have thought, for shunning a recent remake!

Alex da Silva Pinkie (Richard Attenborough) heads a small gang in Brighton. I didn't understand the beginning and I was a bit annoyed that I had to try and figure things out. The beginning only made sense after I had read other reviews on the IMDb site. Obviously written by people who have read the book. Anyway, Pinkie ends up killing a couple of people and trying to cover his tracks until the final denouement at Brighton pier. Just go with it.There are several memorable scenes - the chase at the beginning through Brighton that ends with Pinkie taking a seat next to Fred (Alan Wheatley) on the Ghost Train as the ride starts; the scene at the pier with the suicide pact; the fight with other gang members where Pinkie gets unexpectedly attacked; the incident on the staircase - game over for Spicer (Wylie Watson); Pinkie recording what Rose (Carol Marsh) believes to be a message of love for her - he actually records a message saying how much he detests her; etc.There are a few points I feel I need to mention - the dialogue is sometimes difficult to understand; the title means absolutely nothing - "Brighton Pier" or "Kinky Pinkie" would have made a better title; I also found it unrealistic during the chase scene as Fred had got clear away on about 3 occasions. He even jumped on a couple of buses!; and the punches that are thrown are very fake.Set against this, the film portrays some violent scenes that are disturbing. Pinkie's a psychopath and is prepared to slash people in the face. Indeed, he becomes a victim of this type of attack and the story has an underlying menacing quality to it. The acting honours go to Richard Attenborough and William Hartnell, who plays "Dallow". Hartnell is a tough guy who behaves according to an honourable code, eg, he doesn't harm women. Attenborough crosses this line and this is his undoing.Hermione Baddeley, who plays "Ida", a 3rd-rate entertainer, starts the film as a figure of fun with her attempt to contact the dead and she has comedy music played whenever she appears. It was a poor decision to use this music as it takes the tension out of proceedings. However, the audience respects her by the end of the film as she sticks her neck out to help Rose, who is extremely annoying and stupid in her blind love for Pinkie. I was waiting for Rose to play the goddam record at the end to bring her down to reality and to laugh at her coz she was sooooooo annoying........I didn't get the chance. I felt cheated with the ending even though I appreciate that it is a good twist.A final mention must go to the main character. He's clearly a dangerous man but what is his name about? ....Pinkie...!!.... another British gangland poof....? Despite not being able to understand the story at the beginning, this is a good film that keeps you watching.

yourstruly2010 So much has already been said of this film its pointless to type out the story but this is absolutely without shadow of a doubt the finest British gangster film ever made and one of the greatest British films ever made. Richard Attenborough was very almost typecast as hoodlums and gangsters (the hundred pound window, London belongs to me, boys in brown, dancing with crime) his performance here is not uncagney like (via public enemy) phycotic seething brooding filled with rage fear hate and despair. He seems to bear a grudge against religious and authoritative figures he also appears to be homosexual in one scene he goes berserk to find fellow gang members and their girlfriends drinking and acting flirtatious and promiscuous he even threatens to kill when a fellow gangster says his wife is going to make a man of him on their wedding night and then the next morning after their wedding night he hasn't slept with his wife. his best friend tells her "not to worry hes just busy hes got stuff on his mind" she tells pinkies best friend "i don't want to be on his mind ever i just want be with him" implying she hasn't 'BEEN' with him in fact by the end of the film I'm not sure he has slept with her at all. You can fill in the blanks why does a 17 year old lad wind up this vicious and angry where are his parents what lead him to the place where he is now why the hatred toward religion ? even his nick name pinky brown... you have to wonder ... the relationships hes forged with other members of the gang are quite interesting also the former leader seems to have been somewhat of a father figure to pinky and hes trying to forge that same relationship with Dallow (william hartnel) who is clearly the brains of the outfit and would be the leader of the mob if he wasn't scared of pinky as everyone is he knows fine well what pinky is capable of he gets a good indication in the first few minutes of the film. Pinky isn't used of people standing up to him and not fearing him he doesn't like the fact the town is now increasingly ran by colleani he hates it and the rest of the mob know if it wasn't for pinkies murderous reputation they'd be finished. Pinkies relationship with women also worth noting the only time he shows his wife anything but hostility is when hes hurt and wants mothering.1947 Was the year england took America's crown albeit briefly as the worlds finest producer of gangster films as this They Made Me A Fugitive and Black Memory stormed onto British screens, we had previously had a few films that dealt with small scale gangsters (the man from Chicago) and young hoodlums (bad boy) but we had always been weary of the kind of film America had been producing in fact the British censors blocked an attempt to produce a screen version of the play The Blue Cafe which dealt with organised crime in London's seedy Soho district and No Orchids For Mss Blandish was filmed in America complete with fake American accents but here finally in 1947 we were treat to a reflection of our own homegrown gangsters on screen no there's no ring of tommy gun fire but believe me the violence and sheer darkness of these films are just as gripping intense and shocking.To those who question attenboroughs legitimacy as a 17 year old saying hes unbelievable i say that its a cultural difference here people leave school at 16 (at the earliest) they can leave home get a job and start a family in fact i know people doing that right now and back then people were leaving school at 14 so yes attenboroughs performance is actually a lot more believable than you'd give it credit for.Flat out Masterpiece !!!

druid333-2 After the end of World War 2,and England was picking up the pieces & rebuilding,the British film industry started to guess that people will eventually want to start flocking back to the movies again. 1947 brought 'Brighton Rock' (released in the U.S. as 'Young Scarface'),from the celebrated crime novel by author Graham Greene. It is the story of Brighton's criminal underground (Brighton,being a sea side holiday area). The story centers on Pinkie Brown,a young,up & coming career criminal (played here by Richard Attenborough,years before he became Sir Richard Attenborough),and the gang of slimy criminals he obviously wants to be the head of,someday. Between gang hits on various targets they want done away with,forever,Pinkie takes a fancy to Rose,a young attractive waitress,working at a sandwich shop in Brighton (played here by Carol Marsh),whom he eventually marries. Pinkie's success as an underworld crime figure is in danger of being found out by a brass,loud mouthed,but well meaning woman,named Ida Arnold (played by a then young,Hermonie Baddeley,forever known for playing domestics in such films as 'Mary Poppins'),who adds some nice touches of humour to the dark goings on. A nice plot twist ending (I'm not saying what)compliments the film,nicely. John Boulting ('I'm Alright,Jack','Rotten To The Core')directs a taut,well written screenplay by Graham Greene & Terrance Rattigan,from the novel by Greene. The film's sumptuous black & white photography,which brings out the atmospheric balance of light & shadow is by Harry Waxman,with tight editing by Peter Graham Scott. This is film noir at it's best (make no mistake about it),that easily takes it's place among noir classics such as 'This Gun For Hire',the original 1949 version of 'D.O.A.',and others. Not rated by the MPAA (as it had not been organized as of yet,but films were overseen by the National Board of Review,back then),this film has some flashes of violence,that were quite bloody for that era (the film received an 'A' certification from the British Film Censorship Board,for adult content---the board's censorship seal was always spliced into the first reel of every film that played in the United Kingdom)