Sorry, this movie sucks

Brilliant and touching

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

An excellent drama from director Mervyn LeRoy - a film that allegedly led to changes in the inhumane conditions on chain gangs in the South. An excellent Academy Award nominated Best Actor performance by Paul Muni too. The movie was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and was added to the National Film Registry in 1991.Muni plays a wrongly accused man who is convicted and imprisoned; he then has to work on a chain gang in Georgia. When he escapes, he changes his identity enabling him to live as a free and successful man in Chicago.However, he meets a woman (Glenda Farrell) who discovers his secret; she blackmails him into marrying her so that she can live off his largess. He then meets and falls in love with Helen (Helen Vinson), which upsets his wife.When he wants to leave his wife to marry Helen, his spouse exposes him. He then must decide whether to stay and fight it, or voluntarily return to Georgia to serve 90 days followed by a full pardon. Should he trust them?Allen Jenkins also appears.

Paul Muni's performance in this is incredible. He carries himself with such pride and grace and keeps it together through everything he goes through in this movie, but still conveys that tortured under layer. I think its great when a movie can take a political stance and have a role in the changing of politics. Paul Muni's tortured performance is what really makes an audience feel for this character that was innocent and forced to make deals to try to get out from under the justice system. I also loved the story and development, the rise and fall of Paul Muni's character and the range of experiences he has creates an interesting movie that is able to captivate and keep you entertained and invested throughout the entire film. I fully enjoyed this movie and would definitely recommend.

Overall I enjoyed this movie. From the important message it portrayed to the plot twists throughout the movie. I liked the portrayal of James throughout the movie from showing his struggles and triumphs. From James being sentenced to 10 years on the chain gang for being at the wrong place at the wrong time and the conditions that he was kept in caused him to break the law again and escape from his captivity. The irony of this is that he ends up living a successful and honest life and ends up being tricked by the justice system and then re sentenced to the chain gang for the rest of his life. I enjoyed the aspects of how sound is used throughout the film from the dogs barking during his first escape to the calender and hammer strikes corresponding.

Coming from WW1 and needing to become something. Paul did not want to do the normal factory job. So going out and becoming something had to have been a relief for viewers in the early 30. Knowing the risks and troubles that can come with doing something out of your normalcy yet still doing it no matter the cost can be a great underlining storyline. As the actual filming and acting go. For the most part, very solid. I believe that Paul Muni played by James Allen was a fabulous lead acting role. Real emotion and passion stuck out. As well as Marie Woods as Glenda Farrell. Really having almost solid technical ability when acting is not celebrated enough. Also very abstract camera work for the time of the filming. All in all a very solid project with little to complain about. And for a 21st-century child to enjoy it, that speaks highly of it.