This is the fourth Mann/John Alton combo movie I've seen (after T-Men, Raw Deal, and Border Incident), and I'm now pretty sure they could make me want to watch a movie of Keanu Reeves reading the phone book. The visuals in all their collaborations are absolutely stunning. Even the still at the left looks pretty good, and that's taken from a shitty transfer, apparently the only one any the DVD's of this film have been made from. This is quintessential noir cinematography. Yes, this is noir, even if it does take place in 1794 France.How nasty and twisted is this movie? At the end of the film, when the villain is pleading his case in front of a mob, his former right-hand man turns to the man standing next to him and says, "Shut his face." So the guy SHOOTS HIM IN THE FACE! This is, of course, right before he gets beheaded at the guillotine. This is hard-core for 1949.
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