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Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett, Dan Duryea, Margaret Lindsay, Jess Barker ... see more see more... , Rosalind Ivan , Samuel S. Hinds , Arthur Loft , Vladimir Sokoloff , Charles Kemper , Russell Hicks , Anita Bolster , Fred Essler , Edgar Dearing , Tom Dillon , Chuck Hamilton , Gus Glassmire , Ralph Littlefield , Sherry Hall , Rodney Bell , Richard Abbott , Joan Barton , Rychard Cramer , Dick Curtis , Joe Devlin , Thomas P. Dillon , Rev. Neal Dodd , Ralph Dunn , Byron Foulger , Arthur E. Gould-Porter , Herbert Heywood , Boyd Irwin , Edward Keane , Cy Kendall , Milt Kibbee , Fritz Leiber , George Lloyd , Lou Lubin , Robert Malcolm Young , George Meader , Howard Mitchell , Horace Murphy , Clarence Muse , Lee Phelps , Constance Purdy , Beatrice Roberts , Dewey Robinson , Sid Saylor , Scott Wallace , Emmett Vogan , Dick Wessel , Matt Willis , Charles C. Wilson , Will Wright , Thomas E. Jackson , William Hall , Henri DeSoto , Kerry Vaughn , Tom Daly

Masterfully directed by Fritz Lang, Scarlet Street is a bleak film in which an ordinary man succumbs first to vice and then to murder. Christopher Cross (Edward G. Robinson) is a lonely man married to... read more read more... a nagging wife. Painting is the only thing that brings him joy. Cross meets Kitty (Joan Bennett) who, believing him to be a famous painter, begins an affair with him. Encouraged by her lover, con man Johnny Prince (Dan Duryea) Kitty persuades Cross to embezzle money from his employer in order to pay for her lavish apartment. In that apartment, happy for the first time in his life, Cross paints Kitty's picture. Johnny then pretends that Kitty painted to portrait, which has won great critical acclaim. Finally realizing he has been manipulated, Cross kills Kitty, loses his job, and because his name has been stolen by Kitty, is unable to paint. He suffers a mental breakdown as the film ends, haunted by guilt. Kitty and Johnny are two of the most amoral and casual villains in the history of film noir, both like predatory animals completely without conscience. Milton Krasner's photography is excellent in its use of stark black-and-white to convey psychological states. Fritz Lang is unparalleled in his ability to convey the desperation of hapless, naïve victims in a cruelly realistic world. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

Flixster Users

87% liked it

3,232 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

13 critics

PG, 1 hr. 42 min.

Directed by: Fritz Lang

Release Date: December 28, 1945

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DVD Release Date: February 19, 2002

Stats: 230 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (230)

  • fb733768972
    November 11, 2011
    fb733768972
    Never have I encountered a film that involves a painter, where I actually cared so much about what happened to him. I felt terrible every time he was lured into another trap. This film revolves around the life of a cashier as he paints for fun on the side. His dream is to eventua... read morelly sell his paintings, but can never find anyone to purchase them. As this married man becomes emotionally involved in another woman, she lies in order to steal the paintings to sell for herself. He finds out and actually thanks her. He falls into every trap known to man, and in the end, you will truly feel sympathy for his actions. This beautiful "film noir" definitely deserves a ranking among the top of it's kind. With great acting, truly emotional storytelling, amazing transitions and shots, "Scarlet Street" (although very slow moving and dated) is a brilliant example of the classical paradigm. I absolutely loved this film!
  • flixsterman
    March 21, 2011
    flixsterman
    Edward G. Robinson is cast against type as the timid and meek Chris Cross in this truly classic film noir that starts with a chuckle and ends with a wrecking ball straight to the gut.
  • ajv2688
    October 18, 2010
    ajv2688
    Robinson gives a fantastic performance in this movie, and the story is so perfectly tragic, I loved it, especially the ending. If you love Robinson or are interested in the movie because of the plot synopsis, check it out.
  • kenstachnik
    February 24, 2008
    kenstachnik
    Pitch perfect noir. On of the best examples of the genre I can think of. It's no surprise it comes from a master of German expressionism: Fritz Lang.
  • groaningbitch
    December 15, 2007
    groaningbitch
    a sarcastic story of unrequited love interwined with triangled tension and deceiful absurdity. none of the three leads are mutually in love. chris(robinson)loves kittie but kittie(bennett) loves johnny....but johnny only loves himself. it's like circular food chain with the natur... read moreal evil scheme of cruelty and relentless exploitations. gruesomely it's disguised in the name of love. as for robinson, contrary to his little caesar tough guy image in 30's, he plays a mild-mannered sap with preposterous naivety to allow himself being consumed piece by piece without conscious. it's also some black humor within his gullibleness, a sort of bitter pleasure to witness a man's downfall but you can't help but be callous about his tragedy. appropriate fodder for cynicists even with the spoiling minor-taste of cliched predictability. (you could foretell his doom within the 30 mins you watch the flick.)
  • mjgildea
    November 26, 2007
    mjgildea
    Edward G. Robinson plays the world's biggest sucker as Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea take him for a ride. Fritz Lang's direction is at its height (at least the height of his American movies) of its powers. Bennett is one of the screen's most rotten femme fatales stewing in vulgarit... read morey and Duryea is about as slimy and as likable as AIDS. The courtroom scene was as great as Robinson's paintings and the scene (actually scenes) where Robinson finally loses his shit is (are) fantastic. It seemed to violently (no pun intended) change gears a little too late, but still not bad. A great example of film noir.
  • jjnxn
    April 6, 2007
    jjnxn
    joan bennett is a great noir villianess, rotten to the core.
  • michaelcorleone
    August 31, 2006
    michaelcorleone
    This intriguing, dark and bitingly clever film draws most of its power from style and direction. The story works both as a tragic human drama and as a nail-biting suspense. There is definitely a certain depth to this film that is a little rare in the genre.
  • mustardnoize
    October 22, 2008
    mustardnoize
    A very different role for Robinson tops off this excellent Lang film. As a meek, henpecked painter whose obsession with Kitty (Bennett's version of the femme fatale) completely dominates his life, Robinson turns in a performance like never before. A very bleak film, and very... read more true to the film noir spirit.
  • jam233
    March 30, 2010
    jam233
    An excellent story, and Edward G. Robinson is superb. He is such a versatile actor. This film-noir has impressive cinematography and a great cast. Joan Bennett is amazing in one of her best roles. Dan Duryea is perfectly cast as her boyfriend. It's Fritz Lang's incredible directi... read moreon pulls it all together. He has such a knack for showing characters in desperate situations. The great score highlights the drama perfectly. The characters are so well defined and richly developed. Rosalind Ivan is remarkable as Robinson's nagging wife. What a terrific story, so believably done. It's an unforgettable film with style, originality and very strong performances.

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Critic Reviews

Matt Brunson
April 25, 2012
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing

A film noir so potent for its time that it was banned in Atlanta, Milwaukee and the entire state of New York. Full Review

Michael E. Grost
July 18, 2009
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television

Powerful film noir, of a poor clerk lured into a tragic love story. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
December 31, 2005
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

Scarlet Street is arguably the darkest of Lang's American films. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
February 12, 2005
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

An uncompromising subversive remake of Jean Renoir's La Chienne (1931). Full Review

Bob Bloom
October 14, 2002
Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

Interesting film noir.

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
February 28, 2002
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies

They seldom get any darker than this. Full Review

June 26, 2008
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Bosley Crowther
March 25, 2006
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
July 18, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Thomas Delapa
February 24, 2004
Thomas Delapa, Boulder Weekly

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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