Act of Violence (1949)

In the chilling aftermath of war, Joe Parkson, a war veteran marred by disability, is driven by a relentless quest for retribution. His target? Frank Enley, his once-trusted commanding officer and the architect of his torment. Both men share the scars of 25 perilous missions together before their aircraft was shot down, casting them into the cold grip of a German POW camp. As starvation gnawed at their spirits, Enley, the senior officer in their claustrophobic hut, became the voice of caution, dissuading his desperate men from daring escape attempts. But Parkson and his crew, driven to the brink, felt they had no other option. Enley, however, carved a pact with the devil that would forever haunt him, a decision that Parkson would never forgive or forget. Even as Enley tries to camouflage his past under the guise of a happily married small-town citizen, the specter of his past actions looms large with Parkson's arrival in town. A chilling realization prompts Enley to flee to Los Angeles under the pretense of a convention, but his past is not so easily evaded. Parkson is close on his heels, his thirst for revenge unquenched. In the labyrinthine streets of Los Angeles, a distraught and inebriated Enley negotiates yet another devil's bargain, one he finds himself incapable of accepting. The echoes of a haunted past and the inevitability of retribution swirl together, crafting a gripping tale of guilt, remorse, and the relentless pursuit of justice.

Act of Violence is a thriller movie featuring Van Heflin.

Act of Violence is currently streaming on TCM.