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The Breaking Point

The Breaking Point

Crime · Drama · 1950

A fisherman with money problems hires out his boat to transport criminals.

Movie details

The Breaking Point

“A guy who had nothing to sell but guts!”

1950 Crime · Drama 1h 37m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

A fisherman with money problems hires out his boat to transport criminals.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Breaking Point?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Riot in Cell Block 11

Riot in Cell Block 11

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A prisoner leads his counterparts in a protest for better living conditions which turns violent and ugly.

The Wrong Man

The Wrong Man

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In 1953, an innocent man named Christopher Emmanuel "Manny" Balestrero is arrested after being mistaken for an armed robber.

The Outsiders

The Outsiders

Crime · 1983

In 1960s Tulsa, class divisions ignite a violent rivalry between the working-class Greasers and the privileged Socs. When a deadly encounter forces two Greasers, Ponyboy and Johnny, to flee, their struggle for survival and redemption exposes the fragile innocence and enduring bonds of youth on the wrong side of town.

The Asphalt Jungle

The Asphalt Jungle

Crime · 1950

Recently paroled from prison, legendary burglar "Doc" Riedenschneider, with funding from Alonzo Emmerich, a crooked lawyer, gathers a small group of veteran criminals together in the Midwest for a big jewel heist.

Cry of the City

Cry of the City

Crime · 1948

Petty crook and cop-killer Martin Rome, in bad shape from wounds in the hospital prison ward, still refuses to help slimy lawyer Niles clear his client by confessing to another crime. Police Lt. Candella must check Niles' allegation; a friend of the Rome family, he walks a tightrope between sentiment and cynicism. When Martin fears Candella will implicate his girlfriend Teena, he'll do anything to protect her. How many others will he drag down to disaster with him?

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Adventure · 1948

Two jobless Americans convince a prospector to travel to the mountains of Mexico with them in search of gold. But the hostile wilderness, local bandits, and greed all get in the way of their journey.

Frontera

Frontera

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After crossing the border illegally for work, Miguel, a hard-working father and devoted husband, finds himself wrongfully accused of murdering a former sheriff’s wife. After learning of his imprisonment, Miguel’s pregnant wife tries to come to his aid and lands in the hands of corrupt coyotes who hold her for ransom. Dissatisfied with the police department’s investigation, the former sheriff tries to uncover the truth about his wife’s death and discovers disturbing evidence that will destroy one family’s future, or tear another’s apart.

Rancho Notorious

Rancho Notorious

Drama · 1952

A man in search of revenge infiltrates a ranch, hidden in an inhospitable region, where its owner, Altar Keane, gives shelter to outlaws fleeing from the law in exchange for a price.

The Night of the Hunter

The Night of the Hunter

Crime · 1955

In Depression-era West Virginia, a serial-killing preacher hunts two young children who know the whereabouts of a stash of money.

Nightmare Alley

Nightmare Alley

Drama · 1947

A roustabout joins a traveling carny and schemes to figure out the mind-reading act of Mademoiselle Zeena and her alcoholic husband.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Michael Curtiz

Written by

Ranald MacDougall

John Garfield

John Garfield

Harry Morgan

Patricia Neal

Patricia Neal

Leona Charles

Phyllis Thaxter

Phyllis Thaxter

Lucy Morgan

Juano Hernández

Juano Hernández

Wesley Park

Wallace Ford

Wallace Ford

F.R. Duncan

Edmon Ryan

Edmon Ryan

Rogers

Ralph Dumke

Ralph Dumke

Hannagan

Court is in session

Put The Breaking Point on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.