Masters Of Cinema Blu-ray Review – Boomerang! (1947)
Boomerang! is an early film from Elia Kazan who would later become the director most associated with method acting and the actor’s studio. It’s not the best example of his work because it’s still rooted in the film noir of its time and also fits into the courtroom drama genre as well. Despite its genre conventions, it has a very singular style that shows some seeds of what Kazan would later perfect in films like Panic in the Streets and the masterful On The Waterfront.
The film is a set in the small town of Bridgeport, Connecticut where a priest is shot in cold blood in the middle of the street. It becomes an unsolved murder and a political issue in the small town with the police force being accused of incompetence and the town’s administration also comes under attack. The Chief of police (Lee J. Cobb) and the prosecutor Henry Harvey (Dana Andrews) are under pressure to find the killer.
They try to find the killer and eventually they have a suspect in the guise of a veteran vagrant. He is interrogated and eventually confesses to the murder but Harvey seems unconvinced despite what seems to be relatively solid evidence indicting the man. Harvey risks his professional reputation and the wrath of the police force and locals.
The film is shot in a part documentary style, which suits the film and elevates it from a routine crime drama into a solid examination of the failure of the judicial system and how the public opinion can be so easily swayed by sensationalism. Kazan was influenced by the beginnings of Italian neo-realism that was leaking into the theatres and called the picture “our neo-realism” and is certainly the first he made which shows his individual stamp.
The two leads are the great character actors Dana Andrews and Lee J. Cobb who were staples of noir and social conscious dramas of the 40s and 50s. Lee J. Cobb was accused of being a communist in the witch-hunt by the House on Un-American Activities Committee and like Elia Kazan, gave names to save their careers and would later work with Kazan on his masterpiece On The Waterfront. The film also features a cameo from the playwright Arthur Miller in a police line-up.
The disc includes a documentary from the early 80s on Elia Kazan talking about his career, the HUAC testimony and the reasons why did what he did, and the actor’s studio etc. It also features a commentary by film histories Alain Silver and James Ursini, the theatrical trailer and a typically lengthy booklet which is characteristic from Masters of Cinema.
[rating=4]
Ian Schultz
Genre:
Crime, Film-noir, Drama
Distributor:
Eureka! Entertainment
Rating: PG
BD Release Date:
26th May 2014 (UK)
Aspect Ratio:
4:3 – 1.33:1
Running Time:
88 Minutes
Director:
Elia Kazan
Cast:
Dana Andrews, Jane Wyatt, Lee J. Cobb
Buy:Boomerang! (Masters of Cinema) (Dual Format Edition) [Blu-ray + DVD] [1947]
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