Pressure Point (Sidney Poitier) (MGM)

"Pressure Point" contains two bravura performances. One is hardly a surprise: it's given by award-winning actor and screen legend Sidney Poitier, who plays a principled prison psychologist with characteristic dignity and aplomb. The other is an unexpected tour-de-force delivered by Bobby Darin, who is perhaps best remembered for his singing talents rather than his acting chops. Darin plays a racist, anti-Semitic prisoner who has embraced Nazism, and has been jailed on a charge of sedition. When Poitier is assigned the task of delving into Darin's mental and emotional history, the two men enter into a volatile relationship that eventually strips away their psychological defenses, setting the stage for a raw and bitter final confrontation.Produced by Stanley Kramer, the film is ably directed by Hubert Cornfield and strikingly photographed by veteran cinematographer Ernest Haller, who had won an Oscar for his work on "Gone With the Wind" and whose previous film had been the stylish "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane". Ernest Gold's fine jazz score contributes immensely to the film's impact, and the title sequence is a work of art in itself, as is the film's provocative theatrical trailer."Pressure Point" is still a topical film today. It wasn't a commercial success when first released, although it did receive some excellent reviews and even garnered a Golden Globe nomination for Bobby Darin as Best Actor in a Leading Role (Drama). Highly recommended to fans of Poitier and Darin, and to those viewers who relish superbly produced and performed psychological and sociological dramas.

I like the movie.that's All

This is truly a hidden gem among Poitier’s performances, and Bobby Darin’s performance is spectacular. I knew Bobby could sing, but I didn’t know he could act. Poitier is an African American prison psychologist during the segregation era. He encounters racism and opposition in this highly charged movie, but he also is given the job of trying to help a violent and twisted prisoner played by Darin. Poitier realizes that the inmate he is supposed to help, has no remedial qualities. Not going to spoil the movie but Wow! Just wow!

Darin and Poitier show their acting chops!I know Mr. Poitier is a great actor and have seen Mr. Darin in lighter fare vehicles but in here he really shows what a fantastic actor he really was by playing such a hateful and bigoted Nazi. It's amazing how far our society has come since the 1940's (when this film is set). We still have far to go to eliminate this mentality completely but I can see hope for our future generations and that we are on the right path.

Subject matter hits home even more so today than it did when this was first released. Well acted and directed.

Another classic top notch movie with Sidney Poitier. But the shocker is Bobby Darin as the racist. Wow, he does an excellent job. I still can't believe that is him. Sidney was cool as a cucumber with Darin through out this movie until... enough was enough. The pressure point was reached!! Excellent movie.

Wowzers. I have often felt this was a forgotten little gem of cinema. This is an oldie, but totally a goodie. A wonderful cast of performers bring this black and white classic to life. Olive Films has done a lovely job in picking this forgotten classic. SO many good films never seem to get the new outlets they deserve, but thankfully there are companies like Olive Films that give new and important outlets to these classics forgotten by time. This is being brought out to a new generation to enjoy. Starring one of my favorite actors of all time, who needs no introduction, the one and only Sidney Poitier. He has graced the cinema world with a mastery beyond simple words to describe his importance in film. He has starred in some of the greats of cinema. One that is, my personal favorite. The film I highly recommend and always praise is 1965’s A Patch of Blue. In Pressure Point, Sidney stars as the character simply known as Doctor. Like all his other performances, the role is flawless.Also starring the one and only Peter Falk, who will always be Colombo to me. And the heart throb singer Bobby Darin. A great and interesting cast bring this film to life. This is a dramatic film that makes its point and leaves you satisfied with the final conclusion.The plot is about an institution in 1962. Your main character is a psychiatrist played by Poitier. The doctor is trying to place one of his patients with another Doctor, because Poitier's and his patient is basically butting heads. The Doctor explains that there was another patient that was a Nazi sympathizer that he had to deal with. This ordeal took place 20 years before and so begins a part of the movie, while you flash back to tell the story. The original prisoner is filled with hatred and most of all psychotic behaviors. There, you the watcher witness this man’s life, and the torment he went through, and also the changing of hatred inside him, and the lack of emotions for others. His desire to torment others is showcased. But here is the catch, only the doctor knows the truth, because the prisoner is a model person while in the presence of others, and so the doctor has a major dilemma.The movie is mixed with a massive emotional intensity. It talks about hatred, race, Nazism, sociopathic behavior, religion, nature vs. nurture, antisocial personality disorder, beliefs, psychiatry. One has to realize that when this movie was made, in was the 1960’s and the tension of race, and the politics of race was wide spread across America. The war of skin color was full force during this time period. You can see that tension inside this film, it displays itself vividly and perfectly in the storyline and direction of the film.This dark, dramatic film was directed by Hubert Cornfield. Cornfield did not direct many films but the ones he did, stand out. Another favorite of mine is 1968’s The Night of the Following Day. He also directed the forgotten about 1960’s crime thriller, The Third Voice. He only directed from 1955 to 1976, but those few years as I have said, he left some memorable films and Pressure Point is defiantly one of those films to remember. He not only directed, but he wrote screenplays, including Pressure Point’s screenplay which was based on the short story called, “Destiny’s Tot" by Robert Lindner.Now I have to mention the cinematography for the film. It was done by one of the greats of Hollywood. American cinematographer Ernest Haller. Haller has done many masterpieces of film. Mention of his films showcases his mastery. From the amazing, 1935’s Captain Blood, 1939’s Dark Victory starring my favorite female actress of all time Bette Davis. He was responsible for the cinematography in 3 of my all-time favorites films. My number 1 choice of my top 100 films, the one and only 1939’s Gone with the Wind. The flawless 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause, and the dark brilliance of 1962’s Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? His mastery garnered him 7 Oscar nominations. He won for Gone with the Wind which is a no brainer by looking at the brilliance put into that film. He worked on well over 180 projects. He was one of the greatest cinematographers ever to grace the cinema world. He and director Cornfield actually worked together many times. Before Pressure Point they worked together on Plunder Road and The 3rd Voice.Audio/Video:I have only ever seen this twice before. I think one time was on TV and the second time was on a VHS. Seeing it again for what basically is the first again, is a wonderful way to treat a film. It has never looked any better. I thought this Blu-ray by Olive Films was a great new outlet. It looks better than it ever has. Comparing it to TV and VHS, that’s a no brainer on how good it looks.Screen: 1.66:1 Aspect Ratio; B&WLanguages: ENGLISHOverall:Another fantastic film to experience on Blu-ray. A great outlet to a fantastic film that has been over looked by time. It’s a great piece of cinema that should be praised and expressed. It’s a character study. A wonderful reality of the inside of the human mind. The idea of nature and nurture aspect of psychology. A great directed, acted, written film that needs to be seen, and now look no further than this lovely blu-ray by Olive Films.Review originally posted at: [...]

What if the person you want to (or have to) help represents all that you despise? I have put that maybe too strongly, for effect. But that's what it amounts to when prison psychologist Sidney Poitier (excellent of course) tries to help the incarcerated "America First Nazi member" (played by the equally wonderful Bobby Darin) who has night terrors and sleeplessness and panic attacks and doesn't know why. The reviewers of this DVD below have written excellently esp the ones from USA, so I am not sure that I can offer much more besides but heres a couple of extra points, and reasons to watch this excellent film:-Darin plays a figure who must have repelled him as he was such a strong liberal in real life but he does it tremendously well. This is why he was such a loss to the world. I would have loved to see him in more moviesIts another great Stanley Kramer movie, the man who made so many great social cause filmsIt enters the mind of the fascist / racist in an attempt to try to see why he is like this, what caused it. It recognises that the abuser is so often formed (or rather deformed) by abuse in some way or another

I have Never seen this film before very strong story line must watch this again Sidney Poitier great actor but I purchased this for bobby Darrin had me riveted from start to finish

Good movie.

Lovely dvd