Summary
All Man (1918) is a stark, morally labyrinthine narrative that dissects the corrosive allure of criminality and the fragile illusion of redemption. Robert Gaillard embodies John Olsen, a foundry foreman whose descent into safe-cracking is as methodical as it is tragic. The film’s taut structure mirrors the psychological tightening of its protagonist, as each heist escalates not just the stakes but the moral decay of its characters. When John’s injury forces him into the care of Belle Foliot (Betty Blythe), her presence becomes both a catalyst for his self-destruction and a flawed attempt at salvation. The interplay between Belle and John—marked by unspoken desires and calculated dependencies—adds a layer of tragicomedy to their doomed partnership. The film’s brilliance lies in its refusal to romanticize its antiheroes; instead, it lays bare the cyclical nature of their choices, culminating in a climax that feels less like a resolution than a surrender to inevitability. The narrative’s pivot from crime to redemption is undercut by the relentless judgment of society, embodied by Lieut. Reilly (Carlton S. King), whose role as both enforcer and moral arbiter exposes the film’s cynical view of human nature.
Synopsis
John Olsen, the foreman in an iron foundry, is persuaded by two of the workmen to rob the company safe, an operation so successful that the three decide to embark on a career of safe cracking. While pulling a job, John breaks his leg and is forced to take refuge in the home of Belle Foliot, whose husband is serving a life sentence. As she tends John's injured leg, Belle falls in love with him and decides to join the gang, and when she becomes trapped during a robbery, John remains at the scene of the crime so that she can escape. Following his five year prison term, John declares that he is going straight, whereupon Belle leaves him. John marries and buys a farm, but one day his arresting officer, Lieut. Reilly, appears and reveals his past to his wife and the townspeople. As a result, the farmers shun him and his wife divorces him. He is about to break into the bank when Belle and Reilly arrive. Promising to go straight, Belle accompanies John out West to a new life.
