United
Artists, 96m 40s
This
transitional film noir from Harry
Belafonte's HarBel Productions makes an ideal viewing selection for any cold,
rainy afternoon. As it scratches and claws at old wounds inflicted by stubborn
racial tensions, ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW
is clouded with uncertainty about human nature. Its subject matter never strays
far from the pessimistic title treatment. Produced and directed by the
estimable Robert Wise, this would be the filmmaker's final teaming with Robert
Ryan, who was so impressive 10 years previously in Wise's THE SET-UP (1949). That film examined the decline of a boxer, this
one is rooted in the downfall of a former policeman who has one of those
supposedly life-changing heists on the docket. "This is a one-time job.
One roll of the dice and then we're through forever," according to the
aging but energetic David Burke (Ed Begley), who requires two recruits to
execute his simple yet ambitious robbery plan.
Burke
seems to deserve his confidence in the vulnerability of the bank he has
targeted, but maintains too much faith in the men he enlists for the job. The
two-time loser Earl Slater (Ryan) is a bitter, lifelong drifter defined almost
entirely by prejudice and bigotry. In the opening sequence, he playfully scoops
up a small black girl and calls her a pickaninny. Never again will he be that pleasant
with anyone. He needlessly loses patience with a hotel clerk (Ed Preble) and
radiates no friendliness whatsoever to a black elevator attendant (Mel Stewart).
Probably at his most reprehensible, Slater drops the N-bomb when he realizes
Burke's heist requires a black man's involvement. Slater also references an old
foreman as a Polack. Apparently not an animal lover either, Slater's first
reaction when he notices a harmless rabbit is to open fire without reason. What
probably irks him more than anything is that his much-younger girlfriend Lorry
(Shelley Winters) supports him, a fact that seems to drain him of whatever
positive energy he might possess. One of the most revealing moments built
around Slater occurs in a barroom confrontation, when he appears to be well set
up to walk away the winner. Instead he manages to leave the scene the loser
after quickly dismantling a cocky young military man (Wayne Rogers) who
obviously needed to be put in his place. Nonetheless Slater is perceived by
onlookers as a bully who let his temper get the best of him. As directed by
Wise, the persuasive sequence allows the viewer to reach but one
conclusion: the irritable racist Slater
should expect to encounter no apologists.
Burke's
other accomplice is much more likable than Slater, yet similarly
self-destructive in his own fashion. Johnny Ingram (co-producer Harry
Belafonte, top-billed) is a problem gambler, well beyond the point of no return
with his major creditor Bacco (Will Kuluva). Ingram's money troubles also
involve his ex-wife Ruth (Kim Hamilton), who he claims is even tougher than
Bacco, "If that alimony isn't there on the first, the lawyer's there on
the second." Ingram persistently shows more compassion for others than
Slater, though interestingly, Ingram has his own issues with race, particularly
when he condemns his progressive ex for fraternizing with whites. "It's
their world and we're just living in it," Ingram preaches. Though Ruth
sees a future for their daughter Eadie (Lois Thorne) in an integrated society,
Ingram sees himself as a black man in a white world in which nothing changes.
No doubt Slater confirms Ingram's suspicions about white folks, but the same
could not be said about the more liberal Burke. A disgraced cop turned
criminal, Burke treats both Ingram and Slater with respect. But when Slater
gets out of line with Ingram, Burke is quick to insert himself between the two
men, "...I don't wanna hear what your grandpappy thought on the old farm
down in Oklahoma..." It's a great movie moment sure to stick with you.
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| Gloria Grahame steals a scene |
Along with SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957), TOUCH OF EVIL (1958), CITY OF FEAR (1959), PSYCHO (1960) and BLAST OF SILENCE (1961), ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW is one of the significant film noir offerings that marks the end of a motion picture movement that thrived for the better part of two decades. It opens and concludes in the gutter, with the opening shot focused on storm water and trash blowing in the wind. Such a beginning announces Wise intends to wade into noir waters populated with urban bottom feeders. The water motif extends north on the Hudson River to Melton, where the bank job is to occur. Before the bank robbery, Ingram's attention is drawn to a doll entrapped by the Hudson River. Does he imagine his daughter's inevitable entrapment in a dark and murky urban environment?
The
civil rights movement was well underway at the time of this film's original
theatrical run, but the tellingly-entitled ODDS
AGAINST TOMORROW implies a long, tough struggle lies ahead before all men might
be considered equal. Slater's lack of faith in the black man Ingram leads to a
badly botched heist attempt, as well as the death of the man who attempted to
bring Ingram and Slater together, the man who detested old "Civil
War" attitudes. The climactic sequence at a fuel depot, though an obvious
homage to WHITE HEAT (1949),
cleverly mocks the absurdity of racism. After the explosive confrontation
between Ingram and Slater, no longer are there any noticeable differences that
distinguish them. The concluding shot's sign reads "STOP DEAD END,"
in case anyone missed the major point about the danger of escalating racial
tensions. It is not exactly an opaque outcome.
A
great sense of rhythm and timing can be expected of any film helmed by Robert
Wise. As he did in THE SET-UP, Wise
employs an emphatic time motif, again directing the viewer's attention to a
city street's clock. The nightclub sequence underscores the time element, but
within the context of musical performance. Ingram commands a consummate musician's
sense of time during his initial performance. But after his run-in with Bacco
and his cohorts, Ingram takes the stage a second time, when he shows no
discernible sense of time (his time is running out rapidly).
Cinematographer
Joseph C. Brun's New York is notable for its shades of gray, not the high
contrast black & white associated with the 1940s noir cycle. ODDS AGAINST
TOMORROW would not be the same experience without its location work in
and around New York City. Sequences were photographed in Central Park and Central Park West, Manhattan and Triborough Bridge, Bronx. Hudson
stands in for the fictitious city of Melton in upstate New York. The screenplay
was written by Nelson Gidding and Abraham Polonsky (front John O. Killens), who
adapted the novel by William P. McGivern. As the despondent racist Earl Slater,
Robert Ryan offers an inspired performance. Ryan had displayed a talent for the
portrayal of similarly venomous characters in CROSSFIRE (1947), ON
DANGEROUS GROUND (1951) and BAD DAY
AT BLACK ROCK (1955).
My
first look at ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW
was courtesy of the DVD issued by MGM Home Entertainment back in 2003. From a picture
definition standpoint, the single-layered Blu-ray version available from Olive
Films offers an appealing upgrade, with greatly improved contrast and rich
textures. The supposedly correct 1.85:1 framing, however, makes me wonder. Although
IMDb.com indicates a 1.37:1 negative ratio versus a 1.85:1 intended ratio, the
opening credits suggest this letterboxed version is something other than what
the filmmakers intended, with some text at the bottom of the frame noticeably
clipped. The screen captures below reveal how much information the Olive Films
Blu-ray lacks compared to the old MGM DVD, which was framed at 1.34:1. Until
someone marches forward with the definitive interpretation, I will hang on to
both home video releases of this essential film
noir.
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| Olive Films Blu-ray |
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| MGM DVD |
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| Berkshire Bank 561 Warren St, Hudson, NY 12534 |
