One of Bogart's lesser known quality picture

I agree with Mike. This is my favorite Bogart movie (followed by "Dark Passage", "The Two Mrs. Carrolls" and "Desperate Hours"). Good plot, very suspenseful, lots of atmosphere and Alexis Smith in one of her nicest roles.

While I knew, given the Code, that given what he did the general ending was a foregone conclusion, the specifics of it frankly caught me by surprise, so I was not put off in any way by it.

Meanwhile Bogart gave a great and very convincing performance. As noted this came near the end of his stormy marriage to Mayo Methot, and while he looked worn and world weary, it seems he turned to that turmoil to make it work for him in the film.

Greenstreet's role was a bit different, to be sure. A good guy who turns on the protagonist, but in a good cause. Hm. I took it his friendship with Kathy Mason was a big part of his motivation, but the way his attitude played during the ending was a bit jarring in a good way.

Alexis Smith was perfect in this film. In good films and some not quite so good, Bogart was well cast opposite not just great established actresses like Bette Davis, Claire Trevor and later Gene Tierney, Ava Gardner and others. But in addition to the obvious mention of Lauren Bacall he also played opposite other rising or new stars such as Alexis here. I also saw them in The Two Mrs. Carrolls recently, and Alexis was awesome in both parts.

I don't usually prefer to focus on the psychological, but here that theme was well played.

My only criticism really is one I don't usually make - this film is in need of some restorative work. The picture suffered as a result, and the sound also was a bit of a problem. As it is I gave it a 9.

Others mentioned whether this should be considered the best of Bogart's less well known films, which is a bit of an odd category. Having said that the fact that it was only very recently released on DVD does qualify it as less well known, and I never saw it before this week.

But I dont know that I think it's better than The Two Mrs. Carrolls, or an excellent WWII film in Sahara. I also loved many of hte Warners films he did just before reaching top billing, such as The Roaring Twenties, Angels with Dirty Faces and Dead End. Some of his later films also were excellent that do not get much notice lately.

But Conflict was excellent and a pleasant surprise.