I’ve fallen in love with gangster films made in the 1930’s. Actors like James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart were in almost every gangster picture made in that era. And yet it took director Raoul Walsh years before making one of the best gangster films of all time. Cagney was an ageing star but his performance is nothing short of phenomenal as a mother obsessed psychopath who breaks out of jail to plan a heist. Walsh masterfully orchestrates some of the best prison scenes I’ve ever seen onscreen. Not to mention a fair amount of character study, depth, and a heart pounding finale. If you’re a fan of gangster films, consider “White Heat” a must see. Also, if this your first James Cagney movie, you may enjoy “Public Enemy”, “The Roaring Twenties”, “Lady Killer”, “Picture Snatcher” and “Each Dawn I die”, all made in the 30’s.

Rating: 4/4