Joan Graham (Sylvia Sidney) is the efficient secretary of a public defender Stephen Whitney (Barton MacLane) and is in love of the smalltime criminal Eddie Taylor (Henry Fonda). Her boss and friend Stephen helps Eddie to leave the prison on probation, Eddie promises to have a straight life and immediately get married with Joan. He finds a job as truck driver, but is unfairly fired on his first day. While trying to find another job, there is a heist in a bank with six victims and Eddie is accused. Joan convinces him to go to the court and prove his innocence, but based on circumstantial evidence and prejudice of the jury, Eddie is sentenced to the electric chair. On the night of his execution, the FBI finds the real criminal and Eddie grants an indulgence. However, Eddie is trying to escape from prison in a hostage situation, and kills his friend Father Dolan (William Gargan),who was trying to help him. Eddie meets Joan and together they try to reach the border and escape from justice.

"You Only Live Once" is the second American movie of Fritz Lang and a tragic melodrama. The depressive story of love and prejudice discloses a tough criticism to a very unfair, corrupt and hostile society, where losers do not have the chance to recover their dignity and common people are corrupt. The screenplay is visibly influenced by Bonnie and Clyde, who died on 23 May 1934, ambushed in their getaway car - therefore less than three years before the release date of this film. Henry Fonda and Sylvia Sidney show a great chemistry in good performances in this minor movie of this great director. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Vive-se Uma Só Vez" ("You Only Live Once")

It seems that I am in the minority in thinking this isn't that great a film. Despite being directed by Fritz Lang and having some excellent actors, the plot seemed totally ridiculous and preachy. In many ways it reminded me of a poorer version of the film THEY LIVE BY NIGHT, except that realism and believability were completely ignored. The bottom line is that this seems to be a very poorly written film that's full of holes that only scores as high as it does because of the actors and director! Without these, I probably would have scored the movie a 2 or 3!

Despite the good actors, there were still some problems with their performances. The biggest disappointment was Barton MacLane. In most of his films from the 1930s and 40s, he plays a "heavy"--often a gangster or villain in cowboy pictures. While his role here is a welcome change from this stereotyped role he usually played, he plays the most boring and wussy defense attorney I have ever seen. Seeing this tough character actor reduced to someone with the magnetism of a piece of lint was very frustrating, as his character was never really developed and could have been played by almost anyone. Also, while Henry Fonda was okay as the two-time loser accused of murder, his character was so unlikable in the last part of the movie that the impact of his being falsely accused of the crime was greatly diminished. In other words, if he hadn't resorted to KILLING PEOPLE to avoid the death penalty, we might have cared what happened to him! If only he could have escaped without murdering the priest, then I wouldn't have lost interest. Or, if it had somehow been an accident, then maybe I would have cared. But, as it was, he'd knowingly committed many crimes in the past and kills a man to escape, so WHAT exactly is the point of the film? If it's that the death penalty is bad or that people should give ex-cons a chance to succeed, then it is completely obscured by the time the movie is finished. Plus, although at first I liked Sylvia Sidney's character for believing in her man, after she knew he was a murderer and STILL followed him, she just seemed totally stupid. As a result, she seemed more like a plot device than a real person.

With a re-write, this could have been a great film. As it is, it's very skipable and a film that Lang and the cast probably didn't want to remember.

Saw 'You Only Live Once' as a great admirer of Fritz Lang, with his best work being influential masterpieces (have said quite a few times about loving 'Metropolis' and 'M'). It was very interesting seeing Henry Fonda paired with Sylvia Sidney, and both have given impressive and more performances. Am especially fond of Sidney and here she is in the type of role that suited her to the ground, despite being familiar with Fonda for longer.

'You Only Live Once' turned out to be quite an outstanding film and of all the films seen recently, the hard-hitting punch, irony and grit that 'You Only Live Once' had made it really stand out. While not one of Lang's most influential films, it is to me in the top end and one of the best of his US films. It also has to me some of the best work of both Fonda and Sidney, especially Sidney, and the film is a must-see for both of them and not to be missed.

What really stands out in 'You Only Live Once' is the performances of the two leads. Sidney is especially wonderful, vulnerability in this type of film is not always this tender or touching and not the easiest to pull off. Fonda also gives one of his best performances and has some frightening intensity in his best moments. All the supporting cast are fine, but it is all about Fonda and Sidney at the top of their game.

All helped by Lang's immaculate direction, capturing the bleakness and tension of the situation flawlessly. There are some very handsome production values, especially the moody lighting that is in keeping with the film's bleak tone. The music is also quite atmospheric in a haunting way without over-scoring.

The script has tight tension, irony and poignancy, while the story is increasingly hard-hitting and suspenseful as well as surprisingly poignant. The prison yard scene is magnificently ironic.

Overall, superb film. 10/10