Harry Morgan (John Garfield), a World War II veteran, is a fishing boat captain who primarily sails to and from the United States to Mexico with his first mate, Wesley Parks (Juano Hernandez). He has a beautiful family with his ever-loving, ever-supporting wife, Lucy (Phyllis Thaxter), and two adorable girls, Amy and Connie. Harry loves his job and cannot imagine doing anything else in life. He once had his future mapped out, as he aspired to buy several boats and expand his fishing business. But things did not turn out the way Harry wanted them to. His fishing business is falling apart, and he is on the verge of losing his only boat, the Sea Queen, because he is unable to keep up with her monthly payments. His wife is worried and wants him to get a stable job and work on her father’s lettuce farm, but Harry is too adamant and proud to ask for anyone’s help. One day, he agrees to take a wealthy businessman named Hannagan (Ralph Dumke) and his escort, Leona Charles (Patricia Neal), to Mexico in exchange for money, where he encounters a shady lawyer named Duncan (Wallace Ford), who has a business proposition for Harry, which he initially refuses. When Hannagan fails to pay Harry, he is left penniless and forced to accept Duncan’s proposal, which involves smuggling a few illegal Chinese people from Mexico to the United States on his boat. The job doesn’t go as planned, and Harry is backed into a corner and forced to do things that could endanger his marriage and livelihood.
The film does an excellent job of cornering Harry from all sides, pushing him to his limit. His financial troubles are mounting. To overcome them, he takes a risk and gets involved with bad company, hoping it will be a one-time thing, which backfires on him, exacerbating his problems. On top of that, the beautiful Leona is interested in him, and he must resist her sexual advances to keep his marriage afloat, which is an altogether uphill task.
The Morgan family dynamics are seamlessly portrayed, with Lucy showing her affection and support for Harry while also worrying about their future. “I can think about you whenever I want and get excited,” she says, attempting to persuade Harry not to take on the risky job that could have dire consequences for him and his family. On the other hand, Harry feels less of a man because he struggles to provide for his family and give them the life they deserve, prompting him to go out of his way and take risks, which she does not understand. Finally, when all the options have been exhausted, Harry accepts a dangerous assignment involving violent gangsters for a substantial sum of money. Michael Curtiz does a fantastic job directing the finale, which has a well-choreographed and exciting climactic sequence that takes place entirely on the boat. The film concludes with a final shot that is both iconic and heartbreaking.
The Breaking Point is a film adaptation of Ernest Hemigway’s 1937 book To Have and Have Not. Howard Hawks first adapted the novel in 1944, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, with significant changes made from the book. However, The Breaking Point mostly maintains the tone and substance of the novel, which pleased Hemingway himself. John Garfield delivers an outstanding performance as a tough, stubborn, but loving family man, barely able to keep his head above water. The razor-sharp dialogues given to him reinforce his character traits and make his performance even more effective. Even though The Breaking Point is based on age-old themes about how hardship can corrupt an otherwise decent man, the film is beautifully shot and acted and is still relevant today.
The Breaking Point movie link: IMDB
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