Movie Reviews
Book reviews

White Heat Movie Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books  Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Comedy & Personal Dramas Action Dramas
Actors: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien
Review Summary and Plot Commentary about White Heat
Cody Jarrett, leader of a gang of robbers, is an eccentric personality: he is a sadistic killer, has bouts of epilepsy, and has a relationship with his mother that is too close for comfort. To avoid a long jail sentence for his latest crime, he admits his guilt to a lesser crime in another state and is sent to jail. One of his cellmates is a police officer planted to gain Jarrett's trust. In the meantime, the gang is taken over by a rival who kills Jarrett's mother in rage, the news of which causes Jarrett to lose much of his grip on reality. The jailmates break out and are cornered at a chemical plant, enacting a powerful scene that has gone down in cinema history.
--Sara Embrey, Resident Scholar




17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!

Analysis of White Heat
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie: - 1930's-1950's
Inner struggle or disability Yes
Struggle with - eccentricity
Crime & Scandal Yes
Story of - abuse in prison story
Brain/Body not working? - mental illness
Escape/Rescue? - escape/rescue from prison/confinement
Coping with loss of loved one? Yes
Coping with loss of - Momma

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - accused criminal
Age: - 40's-50's
Eccentric: Yes
Hair color? - brunette (Brown)
Hair type - (man) short/standard straight
Body type - (man) average
Events of movie makes character more... - aggressive
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor? - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Secondary Main Character
Identity: - Female
Hair color - blonde
Hair style - (woman) long wavey
Body type - (woman) ample bosom & buttocks
How much in movie? - 40%
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - police/lawman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - 60%
Hair color - brunette (Brown)
Hair type - (man) short/standard straight
Body type - (man) average
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Southwest
Misc setting - prison

Style
Accounts of torture and death? - explicit references to deaths
Movie makes you feel... - concerned
Check here if B&W Yes
Any profanity? - None
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE... - Orchestra/classical
Most similar reviews by Gordonator ranking
Murder in the First starring Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman, Embeth Davidtz, William H. Macy
The Green Mile starring Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan
The Black Cat starring Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, David Manners, Julie Bishop
Men of Boys Town starring Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Lee J. Cobb, Bobs Watson
Cool Hand Luke starring Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Strother Martin




White Heat Message Board (click here)
Movie talk: favorite scenes, what to buy, favorite online
posters, movies for sale on dvd v. rentals.

Search for another movie

Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Sara Embrey  

SCHOLARS:


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).