You Only Live Once

Throughout the history of cinema, there have been several directors who have come to Hollywood from foreign countries. Most would argue that the films those directors made in their native countries were a lot better than the ones they made in Hollywood, but that statement isn't neccessarilly true for German director Fritz Lang. To examine Lang's filmography it would seem he was great no matter what country he was in when he made a film.
One of the greatest examples of this is Lang's 1937 film You Only Live Once starring Sylvia Sidney and Henry Fonda. The story follows legal secretary Joan (Sidney) who is deeply in love with convicted criminal and three time loser Eddie (Fonda). After Eddie is released from prison, the two marry and try to start a life together. This proves extra hard for Eddie, with his criminal record he can't catch an even break. Matters worsen when he is framed for a robbery he did not commit. Eddie soon escapes from the authorities with his wife Joan and they go on the run.
This film is one of those rare gems that one stumbles upon from that glorious era of filmmaking. Fritz Lang displays the intensity here that he did so greatly in his 1931 German classic M. In this film, Lang makes the pain Eddie feels that is inflicted on him by soceity very clearly. It is as if soceity is against Eddie from word go. They treat him like dirt, even though he is trying to go straight and start a normal life. Lang presents Eddie as a very sympathetic character who is merely beaten down by soceity and the only thing that holds him together is the love of his wife Joan.
There is never a dull moment in this film and Lang constantly keeps the audience on the edge of their seats at every twist and turn. This film is bleak, tough, and unforgiving in its content. The film never lets up and forces you to look in the eyes of these tragic characters and feel the pain they feel.
This is highly recommended for any fan of great cinema. This is also a partly based on Bonnie and Clyde and is a precursor to that film. Definitely seek this film out, this film is availble at a reasonable price new and used at amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Only-Live-Once-Sylvia-Sidney/dp/B000093NTA/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1329457249&sr=1-1.
This film is one of the best films that Fritz Lang did and contains emotionally charged performances from Sylvia Sidney and Henry Fonda that really jump off the screen. This film is a gem and must be seen.