fisherelle Review of The Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties (1939)

Cagney on top form in this anything but routine gangster film

[8/10 · 25 February 2008]

I think that Cagney gives one of his best performances here, as the fairly hapless Eddie, being defined by, while mirroring the times he lived through, from First World War to New Deal. The thing that sets his performance apart is the way we see him constantly struggling with the morality of his actions - especially in contrast to the psychopathic Bogart who has no such problems with inner struggles. We see this at the very beginning in the war scenes, we see it again in his rise up the bootlegger ranks, and his acceptance of the loss of the love of his life to his best friend. Finally, of course, we see it in his actions to protect the lives and life of those who have hurt him most. Cagney gives this fairly typical gangster character depth and pathos that make a very good film into a great one.