Point of No Return

“You know how it is early in the morning on the water? Everything is quiet, except for the seagulls a long way off. And you feel great. Then you come ashore and it starts. And in no time at all, you’re up to your ears in trouble and you don’t know where it began.” (opening voice-over narration)

An atmospheric noir that takes place on both land and sea, Michael Curtiz’s 1950 crime drama The Breaking Point, the second adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s “To Have and Have Not” (the original, the 1944 version, utilized the novel’s title and paired Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall for the first time), is a gripping tale that never lets you go.

A touch less cynical but just as fateful as your prototypical film noir, the narrative follows former marine Harry Morgan (John Garfield), a genuine yet gruff fishing boat captain who has never caught the break he has so hoped for. Working with his loyal-to-a-fault African American first mate, Wesley Park (Juano Hernandez), the pair have been together for twelve years, always just making ends meet.

Married to a plain but pretty wife Lucy (Phyllis Thaxter); Harry truly loves her, as well as their two young daughters, so he is brusque with the sultry Leona Charles (Patricia Neal), the gal-pal of his most recent charterer, keeping her at arm’s-length while she continues to flirt with him for the duration of the trip. Docking in Mexico, the man stiffs the captain, leaving him, his first mate, and his fling stranded in the foreign locale without the money needed to refill the boat and pay their dues.

Up the creek without a paddle, Harry is forced to listen to an untrustworthy acquaintance of his – a two-bit, sleazy lawyer named F.R. Duncan (Wallace Ford), who wants to connect him with someone who desires to smuggle some people into the States. Just the first of many decisions that pushes the man to the title description of ‘breaking point’, it leads Harry down a dangerous path. . . that somehow always seems to have seductive Leona somewhere along it. Will he be able to escape his troubles and find a way to thrust his family out of their impoverished state, or will his shady dealings lead him down a wholly undesirable path?

Richly crafted by the great Michael Curtiz, The Breaking Point has his Casablanca flair mixed with that atmospheric, shadowy film noir panache. Shadow and light are used in several scenes to add a visual style that cannot be denied. Flawless camera movements help tell the tale (the tightly set final shootout is just one example of his master craftsmanship); while there is a certain depth and quite a bit of action within every shot, yet there is a simplicity to these ebbs and flows (intoxicating, yet never overwhelming). The ways in which Curtiz shoots within their cramped home is a perfect offering – open doors and mirrors give the feeling that there is almost always someone in the background (also, actions that would otherwise go unnoticed are spotted due to his multi-faceted direction). Then, there is the final crane shot, which is perhaps one of the most heartbreaking final moments in film history (and if you think that I am giving something away, I am, but likely not what you expect). Interestingly, it was not something that was found in the original script. When combined with the rich criminal story and the glorious love triangle, this makes for something very special. One sequence finds a down-on-his-luck Harry running into Leona at a bar – despite the wall he has put up, it is clear that he is attracted to the woman. As the pair converse, his wife comes to pick him up – the intense, double entendre filled dialogue, that is somehow still very frank, is a prime example of the characteristics of the two women – their very different desires for the man, and their very dissimilar motives. There is a fragility in Thaxter’s performance; she cares deeply for her husband though she knows he is slowly slipping through her steadfast grasp. Everything she knows and loves is tied up within the couple’s little house: their children, their life, and all of their money. In a desperate move, she dyes her hair blonde and styles it very much like Leona’s, sprucing herself up to compete with the younger and more glamorous dame. On the other hand, Leona could be called a hussy, but there is something unusual that draws her back to this stubborn man – probably that he will not have her. She flits from one gent to another, but always comes back, hoping to lure Harry away from his family. . . whether for a true relationship or a fling, we never truly know.

A perhaps surprisingly nuanced take on race, the relationship between Harry and Wesley is handled with the utmost care. They are true friends, compatriots that need each other to succeed in life and business. Though Harry is the boss, in many ways Wesley is more flexible and takes just as much of a lead in attempting to make the boating business thrive. . . and is the moral compass that sadly too often fails to get through to his captain as things slide deeper and deeper into the red. He always has a less shady, albeit less lucrative idea to help them move on, but Harry is tired of their sinking ways, and is looking for a sketchy and profitable life jacket to buoy them back up – though he never truly wants to bring Wesley into the criminal fold.

Sadly, this was Garfield’s second last role, though it is one of his best. Never given the chance to succeed at the box office, a document known as ‘Red Channels’ was released and named the actor as being part of a seditious organization (though his wife was a former Communist, he never was) – Jack Warner fired Garfield (ripping up their contract) and basically buried the film (though he was originally planning a huge media blitz) . . . the studio head’s fear of Communism and the unknown killed the motion picture. Unwilling to name names and dealing with the stress of the accusation, Garfield died of a heart attack two years after making The Breaking Point – the film’s title and themes almost a premonition of things to come. Combining his brooding, atmospheric ways with a caring, good hearted character, we root for the strong-willed man despite his flaws; so much of what he does, though misguided, is for his family.

Efficient and utterly effective, The Breaking Point is a fluid motion picture that tells a rich, character driven story through brilliant acting, striking direction and all-around deft touch from those involved. Fusing typical film noir motifs with surprising touches, it makes for a rivetting watch that is filled with drama, action, romance, suspense, friendship, heartbreak and angst. So, don’t let the stress of life bring you to your breaking point, sever yourself from those strains and enjoy this nuanced motion picture. . . even though there are some dark moments that will make you feel terribly lost and alone.