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Poster for The Cross and the Switchblade

The Cross and the Switchblade

1970 · 106 min

A sincere, gritty street drama that balances gang menace with earnest hope, feeling dated but heartfelt in its message of transformation.

Directed by
Don Murray
Genres
Drama
Tagline
One man's desperation. Another man's hopeful journey.
Overview
David Wilkerson's first five years in New York City, where he ministered to disillusioned youth, encouraging them to turn away from the drugs and gang violence they were involved with.

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Directed by
Don Murray
Genres
Drama
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • earneststrength 3 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • upliftingstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • faith
  • redemption
  • violence
  • crime
  • coming-of-age
Places
  • big city
Era
period
Audience
teen
Form
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror2
Humour2
Realism7
Romance1
Tension5
Darkness6
Complexity3
Emotional weight7

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