while this be not a great cagney flick and it have a few silly plot element and it be a surprisingly good film . this film immediately follow cagney best film ( white heat ) and be a slight letdown because of this . mostly i like the movie because the plot and for a noir film and take so many odd and difficult to predict turn it certainly be not like most of the other gangster film you have see . cagney isn not quite the total nut case he be in white heat and but play a narcissistic antisocial criminal . he have zero regard for others and be naturally draw to the criminal life . but and because of his intense narcissism ( i. e. and self love ) and he can not imagine his complex scheme and double deal not succeed . he certainly believe in himself . at first and this make him a very successful hood ( which feed his ego ) and so he take another risk ( feed his ego ) and another and another until he ultimately destroy himself due to his arrogance . so and i like the plot and interesting character study . the negative i notice in the film be that some of the support cast really do not seem like very good actor ( particularly his blonde girlfriend ) . maybe that because cagney be the entire show .