Force of Evil Abraham Polonsky, 1948
John Garfield is a lawyer who is helping out some random gangster dude keep his number rackets all protected and shit. His brother, played by an incredible Thomas Gomez, also runs a secret bankie thing where people bet and stuff. Garfield is all trying to get his brother to join the gangster dude so they can all get rich. The moral corruption at the heart of American capitalism is laid bare in less than 80 minutes
The whole movie is so tough, unsentimental, almost brutal and cold, but then you got all these beautiful romantic scenes where Garfield and Pearson spar back and forth about why they're attracted to each other (the entire film is written in blank verse so it's a joy to hear, as well as look at) that balance the overall tone. Seriously, the dialogue is wonderful, full of repetition and variation. So, yeah, this film is some great stuff. Anyway, let's name some names.