Captivating movie !

Admirable film.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Sang Adam Ant in the 1980s. It wasn't a particularly good song and this isn't a particularly good film. Nothing about it rings true. Everybody's actions and reactions are completely wrong. Raymond Burr (Walt) as the villain is the saving grace but he can't save this on his own. An example of this unrealistic behaviour is demonstrated when Steve Brodie and his wife Audrey Long decide to shelter. Bear in mind that their lives are in serious danger. So where would you go? Yep, a family member's house, of course. No-one would think to look there. Whilst you're at it, why not re stage a massive wedding ceremony for all the village to attend to attract a bit of attention, especially as you don't want anyone to know where you are? Oh, sorry, you have already arranged that. Well, that's good then. This film is totally stupid. There are loads more examples of this kind of stupidity throughout the film. Will the good guys win? This film disappointed me and Steve Brodie's actions are just ridiculously unrealistic. He's dealing with a gang who could kill him, for goodness sake. He should have been dead very early on.

This isn't a top film noir but it is good. Some of the major elements are missing (e.g., femme fatale, double/triple crosses, downbeat ending) but many are there (crime drama, evil villain and henchmen, crisp black and white photography with unusual angles, lots of night scenes.It also has many film noir regulars, including actors, director, and cinematographer.This was director Anthony Mann's first excursion in film noir and he would get better ("Border Incident", "Side Street") and also blend noir elements into his westerns. Many of Mann's film have a strong tendency toward sadism which is apparent here.Cinematographer George Diskant worked mostly on crime dramas (e.g., "They Live By Night", "Between Midnight and Dawn", "On Dangerous Ground") and was known for his film noir angles and crisp black and white photography.My favorite film noir are - "The Killers" (1946), "Double Indemnity" (1944), "The Set Up" (1949), "DOA" (1950), "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946), "This Run for Hire" (1942), "They Live By Night" (1949), "The Asphalt Jungle" (1950), "Kiss me Deadly" (1955), "Scarlett Street" (1945), "Brute Force" (1947), "Touch of Evil" (1958), "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), "Chinatown" (1974), "Angel heart".

Anthony Mann directed this early film noir that stars Steve Brodie as an independent trucker who is tricked into helping thieves drive the getaway truck for stolen furs. He thwarts this plan by alerting police, but is held captive by them as the leader Walter Radack(played by Raymond Burr) wants him to confess for the crime because his younger brother was captured. Brodie escapes however and takes his pregnant wife(played by Audrey Long) on the run, with a vengeful Radack in pursuit... Mediocre film has a menacing performance by Burr but feels longer than it is, and loses steam before the violent climax. Mann would do better in the genre quite soon though!

The trucker Steve Randall (Steve Brodie) is an ex-GI that has fought in the war and has been married with Anne Randall (Audrey Long) for four months. Steve has a trunking business, but he arrives home with the intention of celebrating his wedding anniversary with Anne. He receives a phone call from a client that offers a small fortune to him to transport some goods that night and he does not have how to refuse.When he arrives at the spot, he finds that he was lured by the mobster Walt Radak (Raymond Burr) that wants to use Steve's truck to transport stolen furs. Steve does not accept the deal but is forced by Walt's gangsters to drive his truck. When he sees a police officer on the street, he blinks the headlights to call his attention. There is a shooting and the police officer is murdered and Walt's young brother Al is left behind and arrested by the police. Walt tries to force Steve to assume the murder to save his brother but Steve flees from the gangsters and travels with Anne, who is pregnant, to the countryside, pursued by Walt and his gangsters and by the police. When Steve finds a safe place for Anne in the farm of her Aunt Klara (Ilka Gruning) and Uncle Jan (Paul E. Burns), he goes to the police department and tells his story to Det. Lt. Louie Ferrari (Jason Robards) that does not believe in his words but let him go. Steve returns to the farm without knowing that Ferrari released him to be a bait to catch Walt and his men."Desperate" is a film-noir by Anthony Mann with a good story of pursue and death wish, with sordid characters, like for example the mobster, the car dealer, the detective lieutenant among others and good duel between Steve Brodie and Raymond Burr. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Desesperado" ("Desperate")