Compulsion (1959)

I love this movie so much

You won't be disappointed!

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

We are back to the Leopold-Loeb murder as two wealthy students think they are more cleverer than their fellow man and think that rules or morals do not apply to them.Artie Straus (Bradford Dillman) is the dominant one who prompts, provokes and persuades Judd Steiner (Dean Stockwell) along with himself to kidnap and kill. However Steiner inadvertently left something behind that leads to suspicion towards the two.When it comes to the trial, noted heavyweight attorney, Jonathan Wilk (Orson Welles) is hired who needs to save these two young men from the death penalty.The film is starkly shot in black and white and is set in 1924. With the talk of Nietzsche's philosophy the period setting means you get away from the recent events of the second world war. The two men's sexuality is heavily implied even though we also see Steiner having a troubled relationship with Ruth Evans (Diane Varsi.)Orson Welles comes into his own at the end with an impassioned plea for these confused men's lives from the gallows. Maybe the speech is a little too preachy.The film does not delve on the actual murder or the 14 year old victim. It concentrates on the two misguided young men, whose supposed intelligence soon unravels even though Straus tried to mislead the police.

Compulsion is a film about a pair of intelligent guys who believe that because they have a higher mental capacity, that it puts them above morals and most of all, the law. Because of this, they murder a young boy on his way home from school and then aid in the investigation. The cinematographer did a great job, a lot of interesting shots, particularly on the key piece of evidence that kept you in the story. They did some nice tricks with the editing as well that made the passage of time trackable and easy rather than disorienting. Overall a great Welles film.

I don't know why I'm so attracted to this vulnerable weirdos. From Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in Psycho to Colin Firth as Adrian Leduc in Apartment Zero, darkness and a fragility that is part of the unbearable suspense. Maybe I'm in need of professional attention but I don't think so. What attracts me is by the undeniable innocence behind the horror and that has a lot, if not everything, to do with the actors playing them. Look at Anthony Perkins in Psycho! 57 years ago and it still looks and feels kind of revolutionary or Colin Firth in Apartment Zero, the character is so unique and real that you can see it a thousand times and always find some new extra something, then Dean Stockwell in Compulsion. He plays a monster, a sick, pathetic prince of a man. Yes all of that. The humanity of the actor makes the monster human and we can't dismiss him, he doesn't allow us. Orson Welles has a great entrance into the film and E.G Marshall is superb as per usual, it is the rest of the cast who seem a bit dated, specially when sharing the frame with the extraordinary Dean Stockwell

Compulsion is directed by Richard Fleischer and adapted to screenplay by Richard Murphy from the novel written by Meyer Levin. It stars Dean Stockwell, Bradford Dillman, Orson Welles and Diane Varsi. Music is by Lionel Newman and cinematography by William C. Mellor.Based upon the real life Leopold and Loeb murder trial of the 1920s, Compulsion finds Artie Strauss (Dillman) and Judd Steiner (Stockwell) as two well to do young men attempting to commit the perfect crime - murder! But it wasn't so perfect after all and they soon find themselves on trial for their own lives. Enter famed attorney Jonathan Wilk (Welles), who fights to keep them from the death penalty.Healthily rated in some quarters, it's a film that actually does divide opinions, which when all is considered is unsurprising given the capital punishment core of the story. The story builds superbly, brilliantly photographed and paced by cinematographer and director, and performed with imposing skills by Dillman and Stockwell. Then the crux of the film arrives in the form of Welles, who late in the play has the unenviable job of turning the piece into a soapbox anti capital punishment advertisement. It's also a performance from Welles that has drawn major pros and cons in critical circles. Whatever your thoughts on capital punishment, Welles makes a telling acting mark. The sound mix could have been fine tuned, as Welles is prone to mumble during his speeches, but it remains gripping on court room drama terms, even if there's a little deflation - a feeling of anti-climax - after the build up had been so good. Not really capturing the notoriety of the real case, it's nonetheless a compelling piece and well worth seeking out. 7/10