The Bloody Brood

When The Bloody Brood began my expectations were low. I soon found myself moderately engaged with the story thanks largely to the lead actors. There's a reason so many people know the name Peter Falk, and the reason this movie might be worth watching is due more to him than any other single person. Yet I would be remiss if I didn't give Jack Betts some credit. Here again is guy with a list of credits a mile long (though far less impressive than Falk's) for good reason. This movie was very early in both their careers (I think it was actually Betts' first movie) so don't take this as me saying it's their best performances ever, the movie is certainly not great; it's just not bad.

Nico is the go-to guy for a drug fix. The beatniks around him seem obsessed with him (probably mostly for that reason), and he seems to get off on the control it gives him. He gets a power trip watching someone die and decides he wants to control death which leads him to orchestrate a murder. Cliff, the brother of Nico's victim, comes looking for answers and narrows the culprit down to Nico's group. It's a cat and mouse as one tries to avoid getting caught as the other seeks out justice.

This flick is beatnik overload. The culture is an important part of the plot, but still it becomes almost unbearably too much. Part of the problem with it is the obsession with Nico. Yeah, I get it, he's virtually worshiped which more or less becomes his own drug; it's important to get that across, but I got tired of hearing “Nico this” and “Nico that” every few seconds. If the rest of the movie had been like this it would have been a poor experience.

There isn't much mystery since we know from the very start who did what. It's more about watching the two sides of the conflict: Nico covering his tracks and Cliff tracking down the killer. A stronger atmosphere of suspense and danger might have boosted the movie to the next level. The story itself isn't particularly strong, and there isn't a whole lot of exciting action so you can see why enjoyment of the movie hinges so much on the character portrayals.

MORALITY:

There isn't much of note in this movie (which is often the case with black and white movies even ones with subjects such as these). Even though it deals with people who enjoy murder and presumably drugs along with sexual promiscuity the depictions and descriptions are never graphic and tend to be quite vague. In fact, I say “presumably” because I don't think the drugs and sex are ever mentioned directly. We get the idea that Nico is making drug deals, but I don't recall the precise nature of these meetings being actually stated, only hinted at.

There is no strong language at all.

We do see some alcohol consumption and smoking if that's something that bothers you.

SPIRITUALITY:

Nico is a guy who revels in his sinful ways. He has no love for anyone and therefore doesn't care if they get hurt as long as he gets what he wants. His desire for the power over life and death smack of someone wanting to play God, and while most people in our society are going to be restrained by the consequences of breaking the law that restricts such actions we still see far too many who want to feel powerful by hurting someone innocent. When we devalue life and bow down to loveless idols like money and drugs that is the kind of mentality we promote.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This is a pretty decent movie despite its drawbacks. You really need to be a Falk or beatnik movie fan for it to be worth the asking price I see online, but it's movies like these that make going through the obscure, old films rewarding.

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