BOOMERANG! (69)

Directed by: Elia Kazan (1947)

Starring: Dana Andrews, Lee J. Cobb, Arthur Kennedy, Karl Malden

The Pitch: A priest is murdered in a small New England town, but the DA suspects an innocent man is being charged with the crime.

Theo Sez: Passage of time adds an extra kick to this kind of semi-documentary : the opening 360-degree pan round a small town is historically fascinating, and the many quick scenes of townspeople talking about the case in gas-stations, barber-shops etc. offer sharp insight into a vanished way of life (it's the details, like the stout grandma sitting on her porch puffing away on a cigarette, inches away from a baby in a pram) ; nor does it pull any punches, detailing both small-town corruption and the shadowy workings of the police force - the interrogation scenes aren't a million miles from IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, and there's a memorable moment when a burly cop sidles up to the Chief saying "There's an easier way of doing this, you know...". Best of all is the way it doesn't let on about the DA's change of heart till the trial's actually underway and he's making his opening speech - it's more than a cheap twist, reflecting the film's just-the-facts philosophy : it doesn't presume to probe his mind, sticks to matters of public record. Indeed, the paradox with these true-life crime movies of the late 40s (see also CALL NORTHSIDE 777) is precisely the way their detached, "realistic" style flattens individuality, even though their plots actually depend on an individual standing up to the System - and even though their emphasis on naturalism actually stems from a WW2-inspired respect for the common man. Skilful and intelligent nonetheless, let down only by an excess of rectitude in the Andrews character (the extended courtroom climax feels like a lecture) and some dated domestic bits ; though it probably falls into the "historically fascinating" category that our hero's daily routine on coming home from the office starts with stepping up to the sideboard and mixing himself a martini...