Act of Violence

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Fred Zinnemann directs. Robert Surtees behind the camera. Bronislau Kaper scores. Conrad A. Nervig cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 182 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
• 2Shot for just $1.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
• 3Earned back only 88% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
• 477 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
• 5Directed by Fred Zinnemann, shot by Robert Surtees. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 6Original score by Bronislau Kaper. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 7Editor Conrad A. Nervig shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 8Van Heflin and Robert Ryan and Janet Leigh carry the top of the cast.
• 9Marketing tagline: "The manhunt no woman could stop!".
• 10IMDB entry: tt0041088 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 11Classified under 13 themes, including "prostitute", "war veteran", "prisoner of war", "housewife".

The technical file

Cinematography

Robert Surtees

Original score

Bronislau Kaper

Editing

Conrad A. Nervig

Makeup / hair

Sydney Guilaroff

Runtime

82 min · 1h 22m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$1,290,000

Box office

$1,129,000

Return

88% of budget

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

NR

IMDB

Act of Violence (1949) ↗

Also by

Fred Zinnemann

• 
  The Ash Can Fleet

  1939 · ★ 8.5
• 
  Forgotten Victory

  1939 · ★ 8.0
• 
  One Against the World

  1939 · ★ 8.0
• 
  High Noon

  1952 · ★ 7.7
• 
  The Day of the Jackal

  1973 · ★ 7.5
• 
  My Brother Talks to Horses

  1947 · ★ 7.5

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Act of Violence (1948) Trailer

  Trailer
• 

  ▶
  Josh Olson on ACT OF VIOLENCE

  Featurette

Community reviews

What people are saying

• John Chard2019-06-25
  ★ 8/10

  Post war scabs are picked off with noirish bleakness by Zinnerman and his terrific cast. Act of Violence is directed by Fred Zinnemann and adapted for the screen by Robert L. Richards from a story by Collier Young. It stars Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, and Janet Leigh, with support coming from Mary Astor, Phyllis Thaxter & Berry Kroeger. Robert Surtees photographs it from various California locations and Bronislau Kaper provides the music that is conducted by André Previn. An Embittered former POW (Ryan) is hell bent on revenge against his former commanding officer (Heflin) who betrayed his men's planned escape attempt from a Nazi prison camp. Superior film noir piece that is not only boasting a taut, intelligent and suspenseful story to work from, but also a collective group of film makers on tip top form. The film primarily looks at the point of view of the troubled soldiers who upon returning from war are mentally and physically shot. Some are thriving as the economy in the post war times has picked up, while others are carrying the legacy of battle - - with deep long memories gnawing away with every battle scarred step. They say time is a big healer, particularly with the passing of loved ones and the willingness to forgive those who have done you wrong. But the makers here are not in that frame of mind. The ghosts of the past are not content to sit around in Surtees' menacing shadows, they want out, and with Ryan & Heflin deftly channelling different, yet very flawed, characters, the result is a tough, and at times, fascinating viewing experience. Zinnerman, one can reasonably assume, gave his heart for this one. Having fled Austria to escape the Nazis, his heart would be shattered as his parents would become part of that dark piece of history that encompassed the Holocaust. The grim texture {Surtees again dealing in genius like mood enhancements} of the piece carries an air of realism, a need to cast out some demons in the form of cinema. The ending will cause some consternation to first time viewers: definitely! But personally I think it's closure for the director; and to us the viewers it should (has) make for an interesting conversation piece about noir and the way to finish off one of its dark offspring. As for the cast? Ryan & Heflin are superb, two of the finest character actors from the golden era of Westerns and Noirs. But rest assured that here the girls are also their equal. Leigh gives gravitas to the role of the courageous, loving and fretful wife of Heflin's tortured soul. Thaxter blends common sense with anguished loyalty as the girlfriend of Ryan's malevolent cripple. While Astor almost steals the film from the guys as a brassy woman of the bars and streets who takes Heflin in off the now dangerous avenues and alleyways. Smart, pangy and dripping with noir style, Act Of Violence has so much going for it, and equally as much to say. 8/10

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

  US

Key crew

• ProducerWilliam H. Wright
• EditorConrad A. Nervig
• Art DirectionCedric Gibbons
• Art DirectionHans Peters
• Set DecorationEdwin B. Willis
• Costume DesignerHelen Rose
• Hair DesignerSydney Guilaroff
• Makeup DesignerJack Dawn
• Second Unit DirectorAndrew Marton
• Assistant Set DecorationHenry Grace
• Sound DirectorDouglas Shearer
• Assistant CameraHarry Stradling Jr.
• ConductorAndré Previn
• OrchestratorRobert Franklyn

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• prostitute
• war veteran
• prisoner of war
• housewife
• stalker
• revenge
• film noir
• on the run
• informant
• post war
• hidden truth
• fearful wife
• man with limp

Release history · US

When it landed

• Theatrical (limited)1949-01-22NR

Also known as

International titles

• Acto de violenciaES