As pure entertainment, viewers will be pleased with Michael Curtiz' The Breaking Point, as it's a good drama, a good story, with atmospheric seaside cinematography, tense action sequences, and several fine performances. But bigger rewards await those willing to be drawn more deeply into the film. Tthe Ernest Hemingway story is beautifully portrayed. John Garfield plays a tough, straightforward man, successful as an officer in the war, who returns home to tough economic times and struggles doing the only thing he knows, captaining boats. He has a great friend and partner, a wonderful wife and children, but can't deliver sustained earnings nor pay his debts. Even when he has legitimate work he gets cheated. Eventually he is offered illicit sources of income. This is the story of how he deals with those temptations.
His mingling with unscrupulous people brings him into sexual temptations as well. Even though this is a similar story to the captain's economic one, and isn't really necessary for the story or the film, the extra spice it brings adds another dimension to the captain's misery and another challenge for his caharcter. Patricia Neal's performance is not to be missed. She is an amazing, intelligent and highly effective femme fatale.
Phyllis Thaxter and Juano Hernandez are both excellant as the captain's wife and best friend (and partner and first mate).
The fatalism of the story, and the permanence of the bad choices we make, are clear from the film's bittersweet ending, with one of the greatest final shots that I can remember.
His mingling with unscrupulous people brings him into sexual temptations as well. Even though this is a similar story to the captain's economic one, and isn't really necessary for the story or the film, the extra spice it brings adds another dimension to the captain's misery and another challenge for his caharcter. Patricia Neal's performance is not to be missed. She is an amazing, intelligent and highly effective femme fatale.
Phyllis Thaxter and Juano Hernandez are both excellant as the captain's wife and best friend (and partner and first mate).
The fatalism of the story, and the permanence of the bad choices we make, are clear from the film's bittersweet ending, with one of the greatest final shots that I can remember.