Big Night, The

Released by: MGM Limited Edition Collection
Release date: March 13, 2012
Original production date: 1951
Directed by: Joseph Losey
Starring: John Barrymore Jr., Howard St. John, Joan Lorring, Preston Foster
Purchase From Amazon

The Movie:

Joe Losey's The Big Night comes across today as what could best be described as “noir-light” - it looks at some seedy undersides of society but pulls back quite a bit at its ending, slapping the watcher on the wrist rather than connecting with a right cross.

It's the story of George (John Barrymore Jr.), a naive, fresh-faced 17-year-old who does a lot of growing up in the film. His “big night” is set off when his father (Preston Foster) is brutally beaten in front of him by local thug The Judge (Howard St. John) without any apparent reason. George is confused, bitter, and angry at this so while his father recuperates George literally puts on an adult persona, donning his father's coat and hat, and takes a gun to hunt down and kill The Judge.

His oversized look is what allows him to actually sort of progress in his task since no one takes him seriously. The community, such as it is, laughs off George while belittling his dad's beating and so when a sympathetic stranger appears George falls under his wing very easily. Since The Judge is also a sportswriter George heads to a boxing fight, hoping to confront him there. He's quickly preyed upon by a petty thug, Peckinpagh, who steals his money and gives him a hard time. The sympathetic stranger is Cooper (Philip Bourneuf), a well-read drunk who escorts George for nearly the rest of his journey.

After failing to get The Judge at the fight Cooper takes George to a local bar where The Judge spends his time. He nearly gets his chance here but the return and subsequent beating of Peckinpagh delays George's attempt. He returns to a now very-drunk Cooper who thinks George is just out to give The Judge a beating. His curiosity fired up, Cooper helps track down The Judge, leading next to a posh nightclub.

While at the nightclub Cooper meets up with his mistress of sorts, Julie, George's eyes get opened the most so far in his journey. It's also Losey's most expressionistic segment of the movie as the rush of George's emotion, the beauty of the music and the black woman singing it, Cooper's infectious alcoholism all combine in a heady mix of awakening to humanity's base impulses and motivations for George, finally pulling away the curtain of normal expected society and exposing the sad, pathetic, desperate troubled lives of those living there. It's not all horrible and yet it's shocking a bit for him. But as insightful and positively eye-opening this experience George still is mired in society's trappings at this point, as he proves by effusively praising the singer outside the club but then immediately following it with a racial slur, “You know, you're so beautiful, even if you are a--” He catches himself but the damage is done, everything beautiful undone by the casual, acceptable hatred.

His quest for revenge momentarily suspended, George returns with Cooper and Julie to her place and meets her sister, Marion (Joan Lorring). Marion is closer to George's age, sympathetic but no fool as she finds his gun while he's passed out. She hides it and decides to talk him out of whatever he thinks he can use it for. She represents the voice of sanity, true north on the moral compass that George has clearly discarded; and yet he'll listen to her since she's also a young 'un, just smart beyond her years. The scene they share together, where Marion nearly convinces George to give up his idea of revenge, plays out honestly, probably the most sincere and honest scene played in the film. It feels natural and un-forced, showing George the possibilities that can exist for adult life, beyond the violence of society.

But Marion doesn't succeed and George rushes out, finally gets his chance to confront The Judge at his home. All of George's desperation comes to the fore, as he pulls a gun on a cabbie to get him to The Judge's place and then basically breaks in. But The Judge is no timid foe and while he uses a cane and is thus physically seeming not to be a match for George the information he has regarding George's father and his recently-disappeared girlfriend are too much for the boy. Overwhelmed by some damning revelations George sees how pathetic and petty and cruel The Judge is and gives up his decision to kill him. The Judge, however, has other plans and in the ensuing struggle ends up gut shot on the floor.

George flees the scene, returning to Marion who is saddened but not judgmental - not like Cooper, who realizes he's now an accessory to possible homicide and angrily throws George out in the street over the objections of both Marion and George. Nowhere left to go, George finally returns home, to the scene of the start of his dramatic journey, akin to a prodigal son finally facing up to final judgement. But like that parable George doesn't realize the depth of the father's love for him and what he's willing to take on for him. Dad sets the record straight and saves George by revealing the truth and telling George how much he matters to him. Turns out, at the base of it all, that's really all that matters in this world.

Audio/Video/Extras:

This DVD from MGM's Limited Edition Collection comes fullscreen at 4:3 screen ratio. The Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is more than ample and gets to handle a wide variety in this drama, from near-whispered dialog to boxing scenes to busy nightclubs.

Summary:

A solid coming-of-age tale that serves as allegory for a post-war society in America, The Big Night tackles the unpleasant side of life and finds hope in honest connections between the individuals that make up that society. Losey's writing and direction here have that film noir crispness to them, where most people aren't good or bad - they just make some lousy decisions.