An unethical lawyer, with an older brother he wants to help, becomes a partner with a client in the numbers racket.The plot which unfolds is a terse, melodramatic thriller notable for realist location photography, almost poetic dialogue and frequent biblical allusions (Cain and Abel, Judas's betrayal, stigmata).What I really liked about this film is how it portrays the numbers racket. Whoever wrote this clearly knew what he was talking about. As someone who has studied the Mafia and its activities, I have a pretty good idea of how the numbers business works and how it can (or cannot) be rigged. These concerns are addressed in a very knowledgeable way.

A corrupt lawyer Joe is hired by a rich gangster. A scam is concocted to ensure that all of the small numbers banks in New York will be bankrupted, leaving the way open for the gangster's syndicate to move in and buy them over. Joe's elder brother Leo runs one of these numbers banks, so Joe feels compelled to warn him of the situation which in turn puts him in an extremely compromised position.Under the surface, Force of Evil was an allegory of the corrupting nature of capitalism. All of the characters go thorough moral dilemmas and change their positions due to the possibilities of monetary gain. The way that big business works in a very underhand and amoral way in this film was meant as a comment on how actual business practises in post-war America could often be somewhat nefarious. The movie itself was not successful at the time. It may have been because of these themes but it might simply have been that this was a pretty complex movie that doesn't have clear heroes or villains. This very ambiguity has made it more cherished as the years have gone by but most probably contributed to it not being box office dynamite at the time. Force of Evil has, therefore, gone on to become one of the cult movies of film-noir.The acting and script are very good. But so is the look. There is some great New York location photography, particularly in the final third. While good expressionist use is made of light and shade. So, in summary, this is a serious-minded film-noir with a well crafted aesthetic. It's certainly a less well-known example of the genre but it's definitely one with quite a bit more going on under the surface than most.

Is money good? Is greed good? Are they necessary? Are they evil? These and other questions aren't necessarily answered, as much as pondered in this tale of a lawyer hired by a numbers racket group and then being embroiled into their lifestyle and the inner schemes. In the beginning we see John Garfield as an amoral self-absorbed individual and his older brother, played by Thomas Gomez, as more of a moral, decent hard-working man, who still works in his own betting office, where people place their bets. Gomez brought Garfield up and sacrificed for him, and John appears to be ungrateful, now living like a king with no qualms about the money he earns and how he earns it. "Money's money, isn't it?" But, as this film noir progresses we are shown that things aren't all black and white, as a lottery ticket. We are allowed to see Garfield as human, with feelings and he is even given a love interest, who happens to find something to love about him. What seems like a dark example of a film noir really feels as a biblical-style tale of salvation for John Garfield's character, with the comparisons of brothers John and Thomas to Cain and Abel, and Jacob and Esau. Others may not see as deeply into it as I, but it is riveting and intense viewing, for all film noir buffs. The ending may perplex some, as it doesn't so much end as move to another chapter that's left to your imagination. But, as one of the more socially and culturally important film noirs ever made, Force of Evil is essential to all lovers of film. Entertaining, yes. But, maybe you can learn something, too.

Many comments have covered a lot of the film-style aspects of this film, and i only wanted to express a short observation about what a fine a script this is. Its not a naturalistic script, but rather very theatrical and stylized. For some it will take a few minutes to sink into this world, symbolic and dark, almost biblical. The final voice over of Garfield's is simply majestic. A great great film.Polansky was at this point a first time director, so the film is all the more remarkable. The HUAC witch hunts drove him out of the business, but this film remains almost archetypal; it is film noir, yet not much like the stuff from Siodmak or the Chandler adaptations, or Wilder or even Lang. It exists in an almost Brechtian landscape or ideas, while retaining some sense of that noir ethos of menace from the system.