Force of Evil - DVD

Gripping, noir-flavored drama stars John Garfield as Joe Morse, a lawyer who traded principles for success and now works for a powerful New York mobster seeking to drive the city's small-time numbers rackets-including one run by Morse's brother-out of business by any means necessary. Thomas Gomez, Marie Windsor, and Roy Roberts also star. 79 min. Standard; Soundtracks English DTS 5.1, DTS Lossless stereo; Subtitles English; audio commentary; theatrical trailer; more.

This gritty Film Noir is drenched in greed, cynicism and corruption of the soul, as embodied by John Garfield (THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE) in one his most memorable roles. Garfield is perfectly cast as Joe Morse, a lawyer whose connection to a ruthless racketeer has nearly destroyed his sense of morality. His participation in a rigged numbers racket could prove disastrous for his high-strung brother (superbly played by Thomas Gomez), whose small-time policy bank stands to go broke when the rigged numbers pay off. Writer and director Abraham Polonsky (In his directorial debut) was later victimized by the Hollywood blacklist, curtailing a promising career for decades until he directed Robert Redford in 1969s TELL THEM WILLIE BOY IS HERE. The great supporting cast includes Paul Fix, Beatrice Pearson and Noir goddess, Marie Windsor (THE KILLING).

Steven Banning, an American businessman, is found murdered in a Tokyo warehouse, surrounded by crates of opium. Refusing to believe her brother was involved in drug trafficking, his sister Cheryl travels to the Orient to clear his name. She meets his business partner, Roger Mansfield, who agrees to help find Steven's killer. Their investigation points to a disgraced British soldier, Thomas Putnam, who controls Tokyo's drug trade. He ins