Human Desire
1954 · Movie · 91 min · ★ 6.8 · 64% critics
A war veteran returns to work on the railroad and gets drawn into a dangerous relationship with a coworker’s unhappy wife. As jealousy and pressure mount, he finds himself tangled in lies, temptation, and a murder tied to the train yard, with consequences that threaten to derail everyone involved.
Based on La Bête humaine
Also known as The Human Beast
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Details
- Years
- 1954
- Release date
- 1954-08-05
- Language
- English
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Critic score
- 64/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.8/10 (145 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a bleak, twisty noir about jealousy, desire, and moral compromise in a railroad world; Not for you if you dislike grim melodramas or want a tidy payoff like Clash by Night.
Pros: tense noir mood; strong lead performances; gripping train setting | Cons: uneven pacing; thin character motives; abrupt conclusion
Themes
- assassination
- film noir
- dysfunctional marriage
- deceit
- korean war veteran
Cast & crew
Glenn Ford
as Jeff Warren
Gloria Grahame
as Vicki Buckley
Broderick Crawford
as Carl Buckley
Edgar Buchanan
as Alec Simmons
Kathleen Case
as Ellen Simmons
Peggy Maley
as Jean
Diane DeLaire
as Vera Simmons
Grandon Rhodes
as John Owens
- DS
Dan Seymour
as Bartender
John Pickard
as Matt Henley
Directed by Fritz Lang