Pinkie is a junior member of a gang running a protection racket in the beachside tourist community of Brighton, England in 1964. The story begins when young Pinkie's mentor, Kite, is murdered by members of the rival Colleoni gang. In retaliation, Pinkie and other members of the gang go after the man who murdered Kite. However, during a scuffle Pinkie’s psychopathic side emerges and he murders the man under a Pier in broad daylight. To make matters worse, Rose, a naive waitress at a local restaurant, accidentally comes into possession of a key bit of evidence linking Pinkie and his gang to the murder. Pinkie then begins a sadistic courtship of Rose in order to keep her quiet while at the same time moving to usurp a senior gang member, Spicer, as the new leader.
Pinkie treats Rose brutally but she seems so meek and lacking in self esteem that she accepts any attention from a man as affection. Both Rose and Pinkie are Catholics and there is a strong strain of Catholic guilt and redemption – hell and heaven – underpinning the film. Rose is clearly an innocent offering redemption to the guilty Pinkie. Below his violent exterior he actually seems to have some genuine affection for her. The question is, will Pinkie accept Rose’s offer of redemption or just kill her to shut her up forever. Brighton Rock skillfully combines this story of the suspenseful and cruel relationship between Rose and Pinkie with the ongoing conflict of the local gang war.
Screenwriter and Director Rowan Joffe made the inspired decision to move the story to 1964 Brighton amidst the riots between the Mods and Rockers. This rivalry mirrors the gangland war – there is teenage rebellion in the air and violence on the streets. The swinging ‘60s styles add a colorful ambiance to the proceedings with images of flashy Mods on tricked out Vespa scooters battling with slick haired Rockers. It was a time of cultural change in England and teenagers were flexing their muscles. Pinkie is connected to this younger generation and is rebelling against the older gangsters and their old fashioned ways. Pinkie’s ties to the youth culture are apparent when he steals a scooter to escape from the Colleoni gang and ends up leading a parade of Mods along the seafront road. He keeps the scooter and also begins dressing in Mod fashions. Later, in one of the film’s best scenes, when Pinkie attempts to kill Spicer they are engulfed by a beachside riot between the Mods and Rockers. In addition to the betrayal of Spicer, the film includes several other strong mob confrontation sequences. The initial pursuit and murder of Kite’s killer by Pinkie is an exciting chase scene with the gang cornering their rival on the crowded boardwalk before Pinkie jumps him under the pier.
Modern audiences may find some of the dramatic scenes overwrought but filming this story in the classic melodramatic style is an appropriate homage to the film’s noir roots. The entire cast is stellar and the ‘60s English seaside resort setting adds style and thematic resonance to the conventional genre elements and make Brighton Rock an entertaining crime thriller.
Brighton Rock was available in the U.S. in August 2011 through IFC Films Video On Demand services and a very limited theatrical release. It will be available on DVD beginning December 27.
