Devil in a Blue Dress

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source: Devil in a Blue Dress

I was stunned after having the privilege of watching this movie. The sense of danger from the 'usual suspects' ie, gangsters and other low life was real enough but what was really frightening, for me anyway, was the pervasive hatred inherent in the racist attitudes of the time (1948) - pre-civil rights, pre-civilised country even. The terror manifested by Washington when roughed up by racist cops and threatened by black hating whites as a human being just trying (but not quite succeeding) to walk on the (almost) right side of the law was excellent in its portrayal and the final sequence when he looks around his (black) neighbourhood standing proud and looking fondly at his people - kids playing, neighbours chatting, etc. - was very touching. Here was a proud black man screaming silently 'Please let me love my country, why doesn't it love me?'.

"FRANK IS MY BROTHER" Talk about subplots of subplots...you really have to pay attention to follow the story. Great cast and great characters..The film has a great look and a very fast pace. I'm surprised it didn't do well at the box office but neither did The Black Dalia or Mulholland Falls. Gotta love Mouse....he just rolled in and then just rolled out...he had some perfect timing It just wouldn't have been right if Luke(the crazy gardener) didn't check in near the end. Great sound track. It was rare a black man could win in the late 40's. Where there is politics, there is money and murder. Still true today. I'm glad Easy(Denzel) decided to become a private eye. How could he go back to a 9 to 5?

I agree with the last reviewer 100%. If the main character was Philip Marlowe instead of Easy Rowlins this movie would make everyone's top 100 list. The movie follows the classic detective film format of being a narrative. Easy is not as cynical as Philip Marlowe which actually makes him more likable. He's just a normal guy who hustles on the side a P.I. He has his run ins with the police, hoodlums and beautiful women, of course at the end he figures it all out. I recommend that readers rent this movie and also rent Farewell My Lovely and compare the two.

A very good detective film without any dumb action scenes; and a social message that isn't rammed down your throat and never gets in the way of story.

This is not just a movie about post war blacks in America, but an universal story about oppressed honest people everywhere and the moral corruption they must live with to survive. The movie is so enjoyable that you can easily miss the underlying truths of this great film. The oppressor is seldom hurt or even morally debased as the oppressed are. Even when it is clear that it is the oppressors who are driving the oppressed into misery and violence. Easy Rawlins is fired from a factory job because he refused to work another shift after working two shifts in a row. Then, he is hired to track down a girl by a shady character; a white man who dares to walk into a black bar. The job leads him from one example of injustice to another, each threatening to get much worse if he trips over the wrong hair-trigger. Densel Washington plays Rawlins with the dignity of manhood that the role requires. See the movie. This will be a heavy experience that you will talk about for the rest of your life.

This movie is fast, subtle and suspenseful. A lot of implications of duplicity and character history combine to make the film a real classic. Easy Rawlins is a proud and street wise black man with seat-of-the-pants wisdom and instinct. He is a World War II veteran and the setting is 1948 in a lower middle class working community in Chicago. Cockiness and desperation lead him to accept a job investigating the whereabouts of a beautiful woman. He is eventually forced to either solve a murder mystery or to become the fall guy for a series of crimes. Easy enlists the aid of a shady character from his past life nicknamed "Mouse." Mouse (Don Cheadle) is either a relative or very close family friend who has apparently saved Easy from major trouble in the past, but his methods are a bit harsh and heartless for Easy's comfort. Mouse is so witty and practical he almost steals the show. Buckle down and enjoy the ride. This picture got a rare "10" rating from me.

Intricate plot, great acting from Denzel and Cheadle but the star of the show is the production. MId-century L. A. is beautifully re-created with a great attention to detail. A very enjoyable film that keeps you guessing as it develops a host of characters.

I'm not sure why I had never heard of this film before. Thanks to Netflix for recommending it to me. I really enjoyed it. Devil in a Blue Dress stars Denzel Washington as "Easy" Rawlins, a hard working man trying to achieve the American dream in the 40's. Easy is asked to track down a missing woman and soon finds himself tangled in a murder mystery. Devil in a Blue Dress plays out like a noir film. It's equipped with a voice over by Washington as well as dames with long legs (Jennifer Beals.) Denzel gives his normal amazing performance, but he's overshadowed by Don Cheadle, who plays Easy's homicidal homie. Cheadle is so volatile you feel like he can explode at any moment. There are some strong themes of race and what it was like living as a black person in a post-war America. If you're a fan of some of the actors in the film or a fan of the genre, I would highly recommend Devil in a Blue Dress.