It’s time for a really old movie. The 1948 movie Key Largo, starring Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, and Lauren Bacall, was shown at the VJA Film Society. It takes place in Key Largo, Florida. This film is not rated, because it was released before the rating system was created.
Frank McCloud goes to the Hotel Largo to visit his deceased friend’s family. The hotel is taken over by gangster Johnny Rocco and his men, who mean business. With a hurricane approaching and Rocco having full control, McCloud may be forced to take action. As he is a war veteran who has lost someone dear to him because of the war, he is reluctant to get involved. Will he be able to summon up the will to do so? Will they survive Rocco and the hurricane?
This film relies greatly on the slow buildup of tension and its actors’ performances. Both make this film worth watching. Bogart and Robinson both provide very believable performances as the protagonist and antagonist, while others deliver strong performances as well. As for the tension, the movie actually starts out rather calm and quiet. It only becomes tension-filled as the movie progresses. The end result is that it delivers when it should and how much it should. It is not exactly clear whether McCloud or Rocco will win in the end.
I did find this movie enjoyable. There are actually a lot of good old movies, I would call this one of them. Not that I consider it a masterpiece, but I still recommend it.
Overall, a well done movie about one man’s struggle to do the right thing.
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