LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Embrace Your Dark Side at the Moraga Library


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Not everyone knows that county librarian Barbara Flynn is a film buff and that she sometimes likes to share her passion with library patrons. On the afternoon of Wednesday, Jan. 23, she is inviting enthusiasts of memorable, stylish, crime dramas to view “Force of Evil,” the first in a series of three free film noir at the Moraga Library.
“I’m a real fan of black and white movies,” said Flynn. “This type of cinematography focuses the attention. Colors attract the eyes all over, while black and white, with its very careful use of dark, light and shadows, creates a tension that’s particularly fit for the ‘noir’ ambiance.” Flynn, who’s very knowledgeable about movies from the ‘40s and ‘50s, thinks that the period was a pinnacle for many American actors. “‘In Force of Evil,’ John Garfield is at his best. He is truly one of the best noir actors.”
The 1948 Abraham Polonsky movie was well received by the critics at the time. Bosley Crowther, then film critic for The New York Times, wrote: "But for all its unpleasant nature, it must be said that this film is a dynamic crime-and-punishment drama, brilliantly and broadly realized. Out of material and ideas that have been worked over time after time, so that they've long since become stale and hackneyed, it gathers suspense and dread, a genuine feeling of the bleakness of crime and a terrible sense of doom. And it catches in eloquent tatters of on-the-wing dialogue moving intimations of the pathos of hopeful lives gone wrong." Adding to the legend of the film was the fact that Polonsky was blacklisted in 1951 after refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee.
The screening starts at 2 p.m. and is free and open to the public. There will be time for discussion following the screening. The film series continues Wednesday, Feb. 6, with “On Dangerous Ground” and concludes Wednesday, Feb. 20, with “DOA.”
“We chose Moraga because we think we can find an audience there,” said Flynn. She added that she expects people to come from all over the county. “We’ve put flyers in all our branches,” she said. “We’ll see how these afternoon presentations go, and see if there is an interest, we’ll add more in the evening.” Pre-registration is not required for the “Embrace Your Dark Side” film series.
For more information, visit ccclib.org or call (925) 376-6852, ext. 200. The Moraga Library is located at 1500 St. Mary’s Road, Moraga.