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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

7.0 / 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

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The Outfit

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A two-bit criminal takes on the Mafia to avenge his brother's death. Earl Macklin is a small time criminal who is released from prison after an unsuccessful bank robbery only to discover that a pair of gunmen killed his brother.

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 Bygone

The Bygone

Crime · 2019

When a young rancher crosses paths with a Lakota girl from a nearby reservation, her mysterious disappearance sparks a search that uncovers a harrowing past and hints at a dire future.

Hud

Hud

Drama · 1963

Hud Bannon is a ruthless young man who tarnishes everything and everyone he touches. Hud represents the perfect embodiment of alienated youth, out for kicks with no regard for the consequences. There is bitter conflict between the callous Hud and his stern and highly principled father, Homer. Hud's nephew Lon admires Hud's cheating ways, though he soon becomes too aware of Hud's reckless amorality to bear him anymore. In the world of the takers and the taken, Hud is a winner. He's a cheat, but, he explains, "I always say the law was meant to be interpreted in a lenient manner."

Man in the Shadow

Man in the Shadow

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In a modern cow town, the powerful ranch owner’s henchmen kill a ranch hand, prompting the sheriff to investigate despite facing strong opposition. He finds an unlikely ally in the rancher's overprotected daughter, but their quest for justice puts them both in danger.

Bad Day at Black Rock

Bad Day at Black Rock

Western · 1955

One-armed war veteran John J. Macreedy steps off a train at the sleepy little town of Black Rock. Once there, he begins to unravel a web of lies, secrecy, and murder.

Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men

Drama · 1939

An intellectually disabled giant and his level headed guardian find work at a sadistic cowboy's ranch in depression era America.

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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.