I Watch Films: Brighton Rock (1948)

 

Brighton Rock

It’s 1935 and a gangster has been exposed in the papers and killed. His gang is now run by Pinkie Brown, young, violent, everything to prove. The journalist is spotted in town – he’s playing “Kolley Kibber,” a fictional character who leaves cards and can be challenged to win a prize (this is based on a real promotion of the period). When the gangsters spot him they confront him and pursue him. He tries to  shake them off, and spends some time with local personality Ida Arnold, a music hall performer, but when she leaves him for a moment he gets on the ghost train and is killed. Spicer is then sent to hide cards around town so it seems that he died later, and they all go off to get alibis.

The police think it’s suicide or maybe a heart attack, but Ida doesn’t think so, and starts causing trouble. Worse still one of the cards was left in a café where they’d be able to identify who left it as Spicer not the journalist. Pinkie goes to retrieve it but it’s been picked up by Rose, a young and naïve waitress. He takes her out on a date, and gets her to promise not to tell.

The gang offer protection to bookmakers as their main source of income, but now their former leader is dead they’re getting pushed out by Colleoni, older, more successful and also more respectable – he owns the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The police, wanting to avoid violence, add to the pressure, suggesting he leave town. Thinking Spicer is a liability Pinkie sets it up so he’ll be attacked by Colleoni’s men at the racetrack. This goes wrong; Pinkie’s injured and Spicer survives so Pinkie kills him back at their house.

He then decides to marry Rose, who he thinks is the last loose end. A wife cannot be compelled to testify against her husband. Then he accepts payment from Colleoni to leave town and leave his bookmakers. Ida is on the case, but doesn’t have enough to convince the police. She confronts Pinkie’s lawyer, a Shakespeare quoting dubious solicitor, but doesn’t get anywhere; she pretends to be Rose’s mum and visits her.

Pinkie decides to kill Rose, making her think it’s a suicide pact. At the last moment he’s convinced not to. Then having a final goodbye drink they run into Ida in the pub. Pinkie decides to go through with it, though Rose, like Pinkie a Catholic, doesn’t want to kill herself. They head for the pier where Rose decides to throw the gun away and Pinkie falls off and dies. In the coda Rose plays a gramophone record that Pinkie recorded, originally it revealed that Pinkie hated her but thanks to his attempts to damage it she can only hear a message of love.

Watch This: Classic British crime film with something to say about faith and perseverance
Don't Watch This: Pinkie’s just nasty to watch