ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Helllins It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

TheLittleSongbird The Big Knife is not for everybody. Some will find it very literate, well-directed and acted(mostly), handling the tense and satire aspects deftly, while others will find it overdone. Both viewpoints are completely understandable, for me there were parts where the film did fall into the latter camp but most of the time it was the former.As an adaptation of the stage play, which is very compelling and thought-provoking, it is very faithful and translates well adaptation-wise. As a film, it's far from perfect but it comes over well as a film.There are a few things that don't come off quite as successfully as the rest of the film. Rod Steiger has a very ruthless character, but for my tastes Steiger plays the role too broadly to the point that Hoff felt more of a cartoonish caricature than a real person, to the extent that it came close to hurting the balance of the film and he didn't come over as very threatening. In his performance, there is a lot of camp and scenery-chewing, but not enough of the menace that the role so ruthlessly written needs. The ending does dissolve into contrived melodrama, which is where it is most understandable as to why some will find the film overdone, and felt rushed as well. Lastly, the film does feel over-scored in places, in the places where there is music the blaring music cues felt intrusive.With the exception of Steiger, the performances are very good. Jack Palance's powerhouse lead performance is one of his best, while Ida Lupino is heart-wrenching and dignified. Wendall Corey wisely underplays and is very entertaining, and Everett Sloane, Jean Hagen(chilling in a role so different to hers in Singin' In the Rain) and a memorable Shelley Winters(in a performance that hits hard) do equally pleasingly. The script is remarkably literate and intelligent, with the tension being portrayed quite realistically and the satire being boldly lacerating. The story moves deliberately, but the tension present is enough to haunt the mind and the subject matter is a bold one and told in a biting, sometimes fun and poignant way. The Big Knife is photographed with class and atmosphere, the production values are appropriately claustrophobic and Robert Aldrich's direction is more than able, often excellent.Overall, a very acquired taste, but for this viewer while not without flaws it was a well done film. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Movie Critic Dull and boring. A movie about the movie making world and what they will do to cover up scandals among their best actors.I found the drama about the actor's marriage far too scattered and uninteresting. This film is supposed to show that some studio owners were evil greedy men making their stars produce garbage meaningless movies for money--using corrupted directors (gee what a surprise!). Also that this unfufilling career (producing kitch) leads to infidelity and marriage problems and robs the souls of the poor actors.Personally I would rather watch 99 River Street any day than this boring thing--all the studios would have gone bankrupt if they only produced these pseudo-intellectual masterpieces of boredom. An ugly now very dated looking French painting is supposed to symbolize the studio owners and of course the high culture and intelligence of the actor or rather his wife who bought it. PSEUDO-INTELLECTUALITY DEFINED.It drags it goes no where. It is talky with endless unemotive dialogue--in fact the scream when his wife finds his body--is the first non droning dialogue you hear--it made me jump. Shelley Winters is the most memorable actor for her short part where she is hopelessly dense and annoying.Watch things like 77 River Street...that is entertainment when things try to become too meaningful or artsy they flop..Several reviews say they let the actors control this entire movie allowing too much hamming and over-rehearsed stops (scenes).One last thing the tinny jazz soundtrack for this thing it was so bad it became irritating.DO NOT RECOMMEND

oscar-35 *Spoiler/plot- The Big Knife, 1955. A ten year established contract actor at a major studio feels like he's being mishandled by his studio. He wants to quit acting, but his contract is coming due for another seven years. He is put in a dilemma of conscience. The studio head tries to manipulate him, his family, career, and friend in a negative way for the studio's monetary interest. The actor is pushed to breaking point.*Special Stars- Jack Palance, Ida Lupino, Rod Steiger, Everett Stone, Nick Cravat, Shelley Winters.*Theme- Contractual bondage for an idealist is a bad idea.*Trivia/location/goofs- Film Noir, Method Actors cast. The studio head role was patterned after Columbia and MGM studio heads, Cohen and Mayer. This film was blacklisted by all the major studios for it's anti-studio content. It came out during the 'contract actors' legal fight to break the studio system by Bettie Davis and other actors. Film plot supposedly based on a true story about secret collusion between studio heads(John Huston & Louis Mayer), media(Louella Parsons) against studio actors. Several possible examples are Thomas Ince's death aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht, the death of Jean Harlow's husband, the beating death of Ted Healy (recent stories allege Wallace Beery was responsible) Burt Lancaster(played in a similar subject matter film 'Sweet Smell of Success' '57) turned down the male lead role and John Garfield accepted but died by heart attack before shooting started. Shelley Winters dedicated her role to Garfield.*Emotion- This was a un-entertaining too static Method Actor melodramatic mish-moss. Weird miscasting for lead roles didn't help. The film title is crazy, too. It's a harsh message movie indictment on the studio contract players and draconian studio system. I have no problems with the actor's performance in either. But the fact 'The Big Knife' was shot like a locked down stage performance in essentially one house interior set made this film too static. It suffered greatly by constant plot and script referrals to dramatic incidents and people off camera. Therefore not pushing the script forward enough to make it dramatic & interesting. 'Sweet Smell' was more of a watchable interesting feature movie with all of the good production trimmings. The Big Knife leaves you confused, bored, and let down due to the films harsh ending.*Based On- Clifford Odets play.

MarieGabrielle Clifford Odets covers it all here, with some memorable performances by Ida Lupino, Rod Steiger, Wendell Corey as studio PR and bag man "Smiley Coy". Jack Palance as the principal character, a troubled leading man Charlie "Cas" Castle, who is trying to maintain vestiges of his ethics and values in a soul-less profession. Also a few good cameos with Shelley Winters as the scandal scapegoat, and an annoying histrionic performance with a drunk Jean Hagen attempting to seduce Palance.Lupino is Castle's estranged wife, who wants him back if he will not sell his soul to the studio. There are some memorable scenes with her as the grounded spouse, seeing Castle destroyed by the system, and trying to pull him out of the mire. Hollywood in those times was something not easily detached from, as Castle is a major star and studio head "Uncle Hoff". Rod Steiger excels here in that role as narcissistic tyrant Hof. His monologue regarding his wife, her illnesses and survival of the fittest in Hollywood is indelible, and rings true.Lupino and Steiger alone can dominate the scenery, as she glowers at him while he is lecturing Castle. While a bit talky at times, the subject of stardom and Hollywood of those times is intriguing. As Marilyn Monroe once said, ..."Hollywood is a town where they give you a million for your body and a nickel for your soul"... Classic. 9/10.