I’ve watched High Sierra two or three times, and it always brings me down. The deck is stacked against poor Roy Earle (Humphrey Bogart), who’s a relatively decent guy when the pressure’s off. Except the pressure’s always on, and he doesn’t know how to survive except by robbery and whatnot, and it’s obvious that sooner or later someone’ll rat him out or the cops will close in.
Roy is a loser, a dead man, doomed — not a chance in hell, and I prefer to watch films about guys who have at least a fighting chance of making it through, which is to say guys who are smart or quick enough to at least guess what’s coming around the corner.
Unfortunately Roy, a decent fellow on his own terms and in his own space, isn’t crafty or clever enough. Plus I’ve never liked his gray hair, and it’s always bothered me that he isn’t perceptive enough to realize that Joan Leslie is kind of a dumb bunny and that she has no romantic interest in him anyway. It takes Roy forever to realize Ida Lupino is a better girl all around.
When it comes to Raoul Walsh crime flicks, I’m a bigger fan of White Heat. Cody Jarrett might be crazy and cruel, but he’s smarter and more big-time than Roy. Roy is obviously a better human being than Cody, obviously. I realize that. I’m sorry for Roy, but I’ve seen White Heat 10 or 12 times and could watch it again right now.
