Cry of the City

A masterpiece of law and disorder, Robert Siodmak’s film noir classic depicts a timeless battle of good versus evil on the streets of New York. Childhood friends Martin Rome (Richard Conte), a charismatic and ruthless criminal, and Lieutenant Candella (Victor Mature), a dogged and tireless cop, go head-to-head as Rome attempts to forge an alibi through intimidation and menace. Seductively callous and threatening, Rome’s travails reveal an underworld of corruption and criminality at the heart of the Big Apple. Candella’s persistence and resourcefulness keeps his nemesis looking over his shoulder as a tense game of cat and mouse plays out to an inevitably dramatic climax. Offering a vivid depiction of life in Little Italy, Siodmak’s fast-paced crime thriller is beautifully shot and is a key work in the genre. (British Film Institute (BFI))