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6.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Riffraff remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Should you watch Riffraff tonight? Honestly, it depends on how much you enjoy watching Spencer Tracy play a guy who refuses to get out of his own way. If you have a soft spot for gritty, old-school dockside dramas, you’ll dig it. If you’re allergic to 1930s melodrama or characters who make the same mistake four times in a row, you’re going to be annoyed by the second act.
The movie isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel, but it’s got this weird, kinetic energy that keeps you watching even when the plot starts to wobble. Tracy is, well, Tracy. He’s got that specific way of looking at a room like he’s ready to fight it if it doesn't give him the right answer. Watching him try to navigate the union politics feels a lot more real than it probably should.
There’s a scene near the middle where the tension in the cannery just... hangs there. It’s not flashy, but you can see the sweat and the frustration on everyone’s faces. It feels like they were actually standing in that room for hours. You don't get that kind of texture in every movie from this era.
The middle section drags a bit, honestly. There’s a lot of walking around and talking about the strike, and sometimes you just want them to get to the point. It feels like the editors were maybe trying to balance too many side characters.
It’s not as polished as something like Captain Blood, but it’s got a different kind of heartbeat. It’s messier, sure. But that messiness makes it feel like it’s actually about real people, not just archetypes moving across a screen.
The ending isn't some big, neat bow. It just sort of stops, which I really appreciated. It left me wondering if Dutch actually learned anything, or if he’s just going to be Dutch forever. Sometimes, that’s all you need from a movie. 🐟