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5.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Side Street remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you're wondering if a 1929 drama like Side Street still holds up for a casual watch today, the answer is a little complicated. It's definitely *not* for everyone. If you're a pre-Code enthusiast or just someone fascinated by how movies found their voice in the early talkie era, then absolutely, give it a shot. But if you're looking for slick, modern pacing or spotless sound, you might find yourself checking your watch. It’s a fascinating peek into a different time, though.
The whole setup with the three brothers, Dennis, Jack, and Matt, all seemingly successful but each carrying this *heavy* secret, it's pretty compelling stuff for the era. They’re Irish immigrants, making their way, but their lives are anything but simple. Like, Dennis, the eldest, he’s this hot-shot lawyer. But then he gets tangled up with Mildred Harris’s character, a gangster's moll. You can just feel the danger bubbling under the surface. There’s a scene where they’re talking in a dimly lit room, and her eyes just tell a whole story without a single word. Really effective.
Then there’s Jack, the cop. He’s trying to do right, you know? But the movie really puts him through the wringer, moral dilemma after moral dilemma. His internal struggle, it’s not always subtle, but it's *there*. You see it in his tired walk, the way he hesitates before making a call. Sometimes his face just looks utterly worn out, like he's seen too much already. 👮♂️
Matt, the youngest, he’s a boxer with a gambling problem. That part of the story feels so real, so *gritty*. The boxing scenes themselves, they’re not flashy, but they feel authentic for the time. One punch lands with a dull thud you almost don't expect from a film this old. It's not about the spectacle, but the desperation.
The way their lives just crash into each other after a murder… it’s not some grand, sweeping reveal. More like a slow, inevitable squeeze. Everything they tried to keep hidden just bursts out. It's not about big twists, really. More about the fallout, the unraveling. You see the decisions they made, and you just kinda watch them pay the price.
The sound here, it’s early, you know? Sometimes the dialogue feels a little stiff, like everyone's trying to hit their marks perfectly for the mic. But then a sudden burst of music or a door creak, and it reminds you how new all this was. 🎙️ It has a certain charm to it, even if it's not perfect.
George Raft pops up in a small role as a gangster, and even then, he’s got that cool, almost detached thing going on. He doesn't say much, but his presence fills the screen. You can totally see where he’s headed with his career. It’s a quick moment, but it sticks.
There's a particular scene near the end, a quiet one, where one of the brothers just sits by himself, looking out a window. No dialogue, just the sound of rain. It goes on a beat too long, honestly, but it makes you feel his weight. *Really* makes you feel it. The film doesn't over-explain emotions. It trusts you to get it.
This isn't a movie that wraps everything up neatly with a bow. Which is actually kind of refreshing for a story like this. It just... ends. Leaves you thinking about choices and what family really means when things go sideways. It's a solid watch if you're into seeing how these complex character studies were done back when movies were just figuring out how to talk. 👍
IMDb —
1922
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