Edge of Fury

Takeaway from this film: Never befriend a charming stranger.

I saw this as the second half of a double bill in theatrical release. It's a gripping story of murder and madness, based on reality, from the novel "Wisteria Cottage" by Robert Coates, which I sought out right after seeing the film. The book is readily available, but the film seems to have disappeared from sight. I also believe "Edge of Fury" was made much earlier than its 1958 release date, as its lead male actor died two years prior to then. If by chance "Edge of Fury" ever shows up on a tape rack or late-night revival, I recommend you seize the opportunity to see this offbeat, frightening film. Recommended to all but children and the very sensitive.

What a surprising and unexpectedly thoughtful venture into the heady realms of psychological drama this is, found belatedly on You Tube. Particularly impressive is the performance of Michael Higgins, an actor I did not know who I learned had a long career mostly in supporting roles. Ignore the reviewer who described the film as "empty" and that "not much happens" until the last bit. On the contrary, the film builds tension steadily and methodically. One anticipates this troubled young man is headed for a flip out in the final reel, but even this is handled with sensitivity, if graphically in a single shot. Higgins was singled out by a professional reviewer as providing the only work of substance in the the cast but Lois Holmes (and her screen daughters) is likewise excellent as Florence who is fighting something of a losing battle to keep the peace.

Nothing exciting happens until very end. The character's psychological sickness is portrayed in a kind of vague, foggy way. What is going on between the characters is not very clearly drawn either. At the end of the movie I felt like I really hadn't watched much of anything at all. Enjoyed the beach photography.

This unduly sidestepped thriller, one quite shocking for its time, recounts a psychologically troubled young painter named Richard who seeks clinical help for his worrisome condition, but is repeatedly turned away in view of his impecunious financial status. While he struggles through a tangle of procedural red tape and empty promises from indifferent social workers, his mental state grows increasingly discordant. One afternoon, he has a chance meeting with a kindly widow and her two grown daughters, and, seizing an opportunity for some much-needed stability and solicitude, proceeds to guilefully enmesh himself into their lives. It's a satisfactory situation at first, though the ladies soon begin taking notice of his high-strung, impetuous peculiarities and awkward reactions to rather benign matters. Tensions escalate swiftly, and give rise to unspeakable tragedy.

EDGE OF FURY is a surprisingly accomplished low-budget picture, owing chiefly to the artful and highly atmospheric black-and-white cinematography, and the talented key players whose names you probably don't know, but whose faces may seem familiar. It's a downbeat, extremely lurid picture, yet it approaches its core issue of criminal mental illness with a degree of sensitivity and honesty. I suspect this is a possible candidate for the small canon of "film gris"...a proposed subcategory of film noir. The distinctions are somewhat unclear, but seem to ascribe to pessimistic crime dramas with a left-leaning narrative, generally cautioning that violent criminals are a natural product of the very society they prey upon. EDGE OF FURY fits this description, though its production date of 1953 puts it slightly outside the presently delineated film-gris timeline.

All said, a well-made and ahead-of-its-time picture which is quite overdue for rediscovery. 7/10.