The Swindle (1955)

In a world of deception and trickery, we meet Augusto, a seasoned trickster nearing the twilight of his career. His accomplices in this life of scams are Roberto, an ambitious young man envisaging himself as the next Italian sensation, and Bruno, an aspiring painter juggling the demands of a wife and daughter. Augusto, however, prefers to keep his personal life cloaked, squandering his earnings on the pursuit of fleeting pleasures in the city's vibrant clubs. As fate would have it, Augusto's path crosses with his estranged daughter, now blossomed into a young woman with dreams of furthering her education. This unexpected encounter awakens a dormant sense of responsibility within him. With his regular partners unavailable, he delves into a high-stakes swindle with unfamiliar faces. When Augusto's newfound altruism prompts him to return the stolen money to their victim, his partners of circumstance show no mercy. Stripped of his ill-gotten wealth, beaten, and abandoned, Augusto finds himself alone, forced to confront the consequences of a life spent swindling others. The Swindle is a poignant exploration of a man's journey through a life of deceit, and the unexpected turns it can take when faced with the stirrings of a latent conscience.

The Swindle is a crime movie featuring Broderick Crawford.

The Swindle is currently streaming on Criterion Channel and DIRECTV.