[psycho d]

Dead End (1937). Dead End is a movie whose message is just as pertinent today as it was over 70 years ago. Damned if you do and damned if you don't, where the damning all boils up around choosing to live an honorable life, which in this neighborhood means living in abject poverty, or taking the predatory route and living life like a rich hobo, never knowing when the heavies are going to come down on you. It revels in this catch 22, but not unnecessarily so. Adding fuel to the cooking pot are those old money folks as they stupidly agitate the social bomb by applying vicious geographical pressure.

This story opens in a wonderfully meandering fashion, slowly taking in the scene, observing the neighborhood from afar and ever inching closer until it seems safe enough to find its hooded intimacy. But even then we are not privy to any hints of a story, but instead that magical sense that we have plopped right down into a little slice of life, even before events show themselves to become noteworthy. And once the story gets going, Dead End never loses its storybook charm. The story's characters are all portrayed with a sense of realism, with the poor, rich, and mean all for want of something, usually what one of the other two classes has. Of course, those that reach out to grab up what he thinks will make him or her happy will be rewarded with a plateful of angst for all their efforts, with the usual moral of the story being just enjoy what ya have and avoid any tempting glances over the fence of life.

This movie is billed with Sylvia Sydney and Joel McCrae with top billing honors, but the rest of the cast, including an up and coming Humphrey Bogart, all turn out rock solid performances. Lesser characters are even giving small yet moving roles, unknowns and cameos allowed a brief moment to tug at the hearts of its audience and then just fall off to side again to toil in their draining efforts to scratch out an existence. Special mention should given to the Dead End Kids that were taken from the Broadway play Dead End. These kids were just amazing and seemed to have a greater future than that which fate has gifted them.

The technicalities were magnificent here, with top nods going to the direction. That slice of life feel was maintained throughout, and it allowed the story to unfold in a manner of its own invention. The black and white photography emoted a warmth that one cold almost feel, which was a nice relief form the dire dead end existence that this movie's denizens all wished to be relieved of. Use of light and shadow were near perfect, with shadow of course finding old Bogey's face with relative ease.

This story bravely ends a few scenes later than would be expected, and such a tactic works brilliantly in its favor, driving its message even further into the hearts of its audience, a timeless plea for humanity that has forever gone unheeded in a land where material silliness is sought after and the intangible majesty of life is taken for granted.
d