If you were stranded on a desert island with only one noir movie—I know that’s a hard scenario to fathom—but if you had to pick just one, what would it be? My choice is John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle.
It’s a caper flick told from six criminals’ point of view. These characters are so vivid, so real that the story becomes riveting. Huston said in his introduction, “You may not admire these people, but I think they’ll fascinate you.” I love these characters because they’re vivid and sympathetic, every last one of them. They’re not the brutal, heartless thugs we’re used to seeing in stories. Each of them is highly functional, each with a passion motivating him to work on the wrong side of the law. As the financier of the caper tells his wife: “Crime is merely a left-handed form of human endeavor.”
Huston introduces us to Dix, the hooligan (1950s speak for the muscle). Dix’s passion is the Kentucky horse farm his family lost in the Depression. He wants to make enough money to buy back the farm and recapture his lost life. In a brilliant performance by Sterling Hayden, Dix is a straight-up guy who won’t welch on a bet or go back on his word, but is a remorseless enforcer on the job. His not-really-girlfriend, Doll, just wants to be with Dix. They have one of the most enigmatic on-screen relationships I’ve run across. Somebody, please tell me what’s going on with these two.
Then there’s the brains behind the caper: “Doc” played by Oscar nominated Sam Jaffe , whose dream is to move to Mexico and chase girls all day. There’s the financier, played by Louis Calhern, desperate to make a lot of cash and run away with his mistress. She’s an unknown Marilyn Monroe who steals every scene she’s in. There’s the driver played by James Whitmore; the safecracker who has a wife and two babies to feed; and an alcoholic bookie who puts the deal together.
The caper is planned meticulously and beautifully executed. Then the noir kicks in. Fate is never, ever kind to the poor strivers in a noir story. This is not a tale of cause and effect, but of chance. As Doc says: “Blind accidents. What can you do against blind accidents?” Now, I know there are a lot of definitions of film noir kicking around in the world, but this particular sensibility is, in my opinion, at the heart of the genre.
I haven’t said a word about how gorgeously this picture was composed and filmed. It was nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best B/W Cinematography.
Okay, that’s my vote. If you had to pick just one noir picture, what would it be?
It’s a caper flick told from six criminals’ point of view. These characters are so vivid, so real that the story becomes riveting. Huston said in his introduction, “You may not admire these people, but I think they’ll fascinate you.” I love these characters because they’re vivid and sympathetic, every last one of them. They’re not the brutal, heartless thugs we’re used to seeing in stories. Each of them is highly functional, each with a passion motivating him to work on the wrong side of the law. As the financier of the caper tells his wife: “Crime is merely a left-handed form of human endeavor.”
Huston introduces us to Dix, the hooligan (1950s speak for the muscle). Dix’s passion is the Kentucky horse farm his family lost in the Depression. He wants to make enough money to buy back the farm and recapture his lost life. In a brilliant performance by Sterling Hayden, Dix is a straight-up guy who won’t welch on a bet or go back on his word, but is a remorseless enforcer on the job. His not-really-girlfriend, Doll, just wants to be with Dix. They have one of the most enigmatic on-screen relationships I’ve run across. Somebody, please tell me what’s going on with these two.
Then there’s the brains behind the caper: “Doc” played by Oscar nominated Sam Jaffe , whose dream is to move to Mexico and chase girls all day. There’s the financier, played by Louis Calhern, desperate to make a lot of cash and run away with his mistress. She’s an unknown Marilyn Monroe who steals every scene she’s in. There’s the driver played by James Whitmore; the safecracker who has a wife and two babies to feed; and an alcoholic bookie who puts the deal together.
The caper is planned meticulously and beautifully executed. Then the noir kicks in. Fate is never, ever kind to the poor strivers in a noir story. This is not a tale of cause and effect, but of chance. As Doc says: “Blind accidents. What can you do against blind accidents?” Now, I know there are a lot of definitions of film noir kicking around in the world, but this particular sensibility is, in my opinion, at the heart of the genre.
I haven’t said a word about how gorgeously this picture was composed and filmed. It was nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best B/W Cinematography.
Okay, that’s my vote. If you had to pick just one noir picture, what would it be?