The Devil's Playground

French born director George Archainbaud crafted a superb entry in this series and it is distinguished by one of star William Boyd's finest performances. The action sequences are very exciting indeed and the story is certainly well done by screenwriter Ted Wilson. The characters in this particular film are given depth and allowed the time required to develop as the motion picture progresses. There is certainly the influence of the continental film industry on view, not so much that of German Expressionism as the early work of French pioneers. The setting of the Old West is the perfect stage for this parable of good and evil to play out, reflecting the end of the world crisis in 1946. Stunning black and white cinematography captures the symbolism of the characters themselves and serves as a powerful metaphor for the manner in which moral issues were handled during the period.