Kiss the Blood Off My Hands | Rotten Tomatoes

Kiss the Blood Off My Hands

1948

1h 19m

Crime

Drama

List

Reviews

54%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

A blackmailer (Robert Newton) hounds a World War II veteran (Burt Lancaster) hiding from the police with a nurse (Joan Fontaine) in London.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Director Norman Foster and cinematographer Russell Metty offer up an unusually dark portrait of post-war life both visually—night dominates Bill’s life—and thematically.

Mar 9, 2024

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Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

A fantastic-looking and largely forgotten film noir starring Joan Fontaine and Burt Lancaster that unfortunately goes light on the storytelling.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 10, 2020

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The soap opera romance felt as phony as the London dock scenes.

Rated: C

Aug 18, 2004

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Steve D

Solid story, great cast. Cop out ending.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

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Stu B

Noir the way it was meant to be. Burt Lancaster, an ex-GI living in post-World War II London, goes on the lam after accidentally killing a man in a bar fight. With the law on his heels, he climbs through the window of a nearby apartment and meets its occupant, a nurse (Joan Fontaine) whom he soon--and inevitably--falls for. Unfortunately, he also meets a sleazy crook (Robert Newton) who happened to be around when the fight broke out, and blackmails Lancaster into committing a series of heists for him. Will Lancaster's character be to escape the clutches of both the police and his toothy new nemesis? Will his romance with Fontaine survive? Will HE survive? The performances are terrific--Fontaine's character, far from the typical gun moll type so common in movies like this, is a bit of a departure for her--but the film's primary selling point is its classic look: the use of light and shadow, the cobblestoned London streets and pounding rainstorms are all testament to the considerable skills of director Norman Foster and top-flight cinematographer Russell Metty. Not a great film but certainly a very good one, and if you're a noir fan, not to be missed.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/13/23

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Tom M

True noir. The problem is that gentle Fontaine and violent, explosive Lancaster have no business being together. Weak, disappointing ending.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/21

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Audience Member

Joan Fontaine and Burt Lancaster....Nuff Said!!!

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

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Audience Member

Excellent Film Noir in the English Fog Joan fontaine is so beautiful & bewichting and Burt Lancaster is Great as The Beast of Pray created by Society and it's refreshing to see the Woman as the Healing Angel instead of the Troublebringing Femme Fatale Great Soundtrack

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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Audience Member

The title is bitchin', but the film doesn't live up to it. The cast and their performances are solid, as is the cinematography, but the story, while engaging, is neither complex nor particularly special. The ending is also realistic, but a bit of a downer, regardless of the heroic epic music behind it. Oh, and it may be worth watching just to see Burt Lancaster flogged in prison with a cat o' nine tails, if you're into that sort of thing.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Norman Foster

Director

Joan Fontaine

Jane Wharton

Burt Lancaster

William Earle "Bill" Saunders

Robert Newton

Harry Carter

Lewis L. Russell

Tom Widgery

Aminta Dyne

Landlady

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Synopsis

A blackmailer (Robert Newton) hounds a World War II veteran (Burt Lancaster) hiding from the police with a nurse (Joan Fontaine) in London.

Director: Norman Foster
Producer: Richard Vernon
Screenwriter: Leonardo Bercovici
Production Co: Harold Hecht Productions, Norma Productions
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 19m