Town Without Pity
"Powerful and engrossing...brilliantly acted!" -Boxoffice
Three-time Oscar® nominee Kirk Douglas "is downright brilliant" (The New Yorker) in this honest and gripping drama about a sleepy, occupied German town suddenly shocked awake by the brutal actions of four American soldiers. As timely today as it was shocking upon its release, Town Without Pity is an "excellent production" (Limelight) and will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Attorney Steve Garrett (Douglas) is brought in to defend four enlisted men accused of attacking a 16-year-old girl. But if he's going to prevent their death sentences, he will have to turn the spotlight on the victim, Karin. Already immeasurably traumatized, Karin suddenly finds herself on the witness stand, attempting to justify her actions to Garrett, her stern father and a Town Without Pity.
Member Reviews
Dreary - RobBC
With its dreary greyscale landscapes of shuttered buildings and overcast skies, Reinhardt’s pessimistic film casts a critical eye on what motivates us leaving little room for honour or virtue; indeed, its flagrantly overdone finale threatens to overwhelm the audience with sheer pathos and heavy-handed irony. Furthermore the blaring soundtrack of jazzy James Bond riffs and lurid muzak undermines much of the movie’s dramatic impact while the script contains more than a few clunky lines that fall flat. The occasional use of a voiceover narrator in lieu of subtitles is effective, if annoying at times, while the metaphorical use of muddied rivers to represent a system of jurisprudence which seems to favour process over truth is brilliant. An engaging story which would have been far more effective had the director not been so eager to shove its message in our faces. And if I never hear Gene Pitney’s whiny theme song again it will be too soon.
Member Reviews
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Dreary - RobBC
With its dreary greyscale landscapes of shuttered buildings and overcast skies, Reinhardt’s pessimistic film casts a critical eye on what motivates us leaving little room for honour or virtue; indeed, its flagrantly overdone finale threatens to overwhelm the ...