Laivasse
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So I was going to just stick a summary in the discussion thread, but it got too long.
I've been on a big film noir kick lately, checking out all the ones with the best rep over the last couple of weeks, so here's a rundown of what I've seen. I still have Nightmare Alley, Thieves' Highway and The Big Heat left to watch on my list (also open to recommendations).
Out of the Past - 6/10
This one's got all the ingredients - sultry, brooding visuals; hardboiled protagonist giving a voiceover; seemingly doomed love interest. The story is a little meandering, though, and never really sunk its hooks into me. So far it's the only noir I've seen with Robert Mitchum in it and he's great. His sleepyfaced sardonic ex-private eye has good chemistry with Jane Greer. There's a good cameo from a young(ish) Kirk Douglas in only his second film role (I think). Worth the watch.
The Maltese Falcon - 5/10
Considered 'the quintessential noir' by some, this came as a bit of a disappointment considering it's rep and the presence of Bogart in the lead. It looks great, and the 'private eye chasing a macguffin' premise is a firm foundation, but the characters are just too cartoonish to be taken seriously at all. A fat man called 'Guttman' who blabbers on longwindedly and some sleazy effeminate North African called 'Johnny Cairo'? All the darkness gets sucked out of the tone; it verges on being more of a comedy crime caper. Perhaps as a result, Bogey also becomes thoroughly unbelievable as a tough guy although his smartarse fast-talking is still in effect. I remember seeing him in The Big Sleep and he was better. Still, this is one of the templates for that kind of archetypal macguffin/jade monkey type wild-goose-chase detective flick.
Laura - 5/10
The first of three films I saw directed by Otto Preminger. Probably the best-received of all his films yet IMO the weakest of those I saw. Essentially, a detective manages to fall in love with a woman, Laura, whose death he is investigating. The end credits of Twin Peaks, with the framed photo of Laura Palmer, was surely a nod to this film and the portrait of the dead Laura which commands the mise en scene in so many scenes. Anyway, it starts well but in the end falls foul of the same brightness and sense of caricature which pulled TMF a little out of the realm of noir. Instead it becomes more of a by-the-numbers murder mystery with little sense of flawed heroes or fatalism. The centrality of the Waldo character to the plot, with his fruity midatlantic accent and exaggerated pomposity, is a really weak seam. Dana Andrews, however, was excellent as the detective, and aside from the visuals he carries the film. He also appears in the other Preminger flicks.
Fallen Angel - 5/10
Dana Andrews seems to have been a very charismatic actor capable of a breadth of silent communication. His tight-faced, calculating expression and simmering eyes are a good fit for the scamming sociopath he plays in this film. Likewise, the plot of 'scam a nice dame to please a toxic one' makes for a darker, grittier feel than the basic whodunnit of Laura. On the flipside, it's not quite as strong visually and the plot is little more than a buildup to Andrews' OK-maybe-I'm-not-a-huge-asshole-any-more moment. Mixed feelings, not bad, could have been better.
Where the Sidewalk Ends - 7/10
The third Preminger/Andrews flick and the best. I just watched this one last night so maybe it just feels much stronger, I dunno. Still I think it manages what the others didn't, which is a successful combo of dark atmosphere, strong plot and strong characterisation. Here, Andrews is a violent cop with a bad rep, trying to escape the shadow of his father's memory (although that facet is only explored later). During his attempt to bring down a murdering gangster, he ends up having to try to elude a murder charge of his own. Andrews' grittiness sells the film, but Scolisi the gangster and the supporting cops are also convincing. The only notable weakness was the blandness of the love interest, played by Gene Tierney (a much-admired actress who was better in Laura).
Double Indemnity - 8/10
I was slow to getting around to this one, because having an insurance salesman as the protagonist just... didn't feel like what I was looking for. Couldn't have been more wrong... this one's got the classic flawed hero/antihero, femme fatale, a grand plot coming apart piece by piece, a heartbreaking betrayal ('bro'trayal, in fact), a fatalistic voiceover in the form of a recorded confession, and of course nice, silky shadowed visuals with hallmarks of the period. The insurance office is actually presented much like any cop precinct, and what with the claims investigation process being depicted as even more rigorous than a police investigation, this still has a real hardbitten detective story feel even without featuring any hardbitten detectives. Best I saw, along with Murder, My Sweet.
Murder, My Sweet - 8/10
This is an adaptation of the Chandler novel, Farewell, My Lovely, which has also had two other film adaptations of that name (one of which features Robert Mitchum). According to internets people, this is the best one. I find little reason to doubt that. Dick Powell plays iconic private dick Philip Marlowe, the same character that Bogart played in The Big Sleep, and from what I understand he took some flak because his Marlowe is too much of a milquetoast and not as tough as Bogey's. I don't get that at all... Powell's Marlowe is perfectly pitched IMO. Getting clobbered all the time and slogging on, jaded voiceover uninterrupted, makes you more of a tough guy, not less. He gets a bit hysterical at one point in order to sell the fact he's been pumped full of drugs, but I liked that, inasmuch as it showed how desperation doesn't rob Marlowe of his irreverence and cynicism. That drugged up bit also has a cool psychedelic sequence.
Another fun character is Moose Malloy, played by 6'5" hulk Mike Mazurki, a mentally deranged ex-con who originally hires Marlowe to find his broad but then plagues him with his intimidating presence, appearing constantly on the brink of murdering Marlowe (or anybody nearby). Could have been the booze but I enjoyed this one a lot.
Night and the City - 7/10
One of two films I watched by Jules Dassin, a director who fell foul of the McCarthyist Hollywood blacklist. His later films, like Rififi, were made outside America as a result. I'm not sure if this one was made when he was blacklisted, but it's set in London and has lots of fascinating 1940's eye candy for me as a Londoner. Dassin is probably the most accomplished of all these film makers in terms of cinematography. Plot-wise, you've got a fast-talking, underachieving hustler who annoys a gangster by entering into competition with him, by becoming a wrestling promoter. Richard Widmark plays a great loser, which is a strong compliment, since to play a convincing loser he has to hint at all the unspoken personality traits which ruin his chances of success. 'Moose Malloy'/Mazurki is also in this as a baddie wrestler. Solid film, but the sense of the protagonist's stinging failure is almost too acute, makes this even more 'feelbad' than your average noir.
Rififi - 6/10
Another from Dassin, in French with English subs. Interesting one. It's more of a straightforward gangster heist movie, although in terms of visuals it's very noir and the main guy is your typical grizzled noir booze&cigs cynic. There's talk of a remake, but tbh this is basically the 1955 version of Ocean's Eleven so any heist film is already like a half-remake of this. The heist scene in particular is spellbinding, with its drawn out silence and long continuous takes. Spoilered for trivia copypasta:
A stylish, entertaining ride, but slickness alone isn't enough to make a heist movie all that compelling for me. Also much like NatC it has a feelbad streak, fairly pointlessly for such a simplistic story. Finally, I don't know whether it was the french influence or what, but credit must also be given for showing us Claude Sylvain's tatas, both in almost-busting-out nipslip and see-through-neglige mode.
NOW DISCUSS FILM NOIR! (or neo-noir or comic book noir or pseudo-noir) (or don't, I don't mind)
I've been on a big film noir kick lately, checking out all the ones with the best rep over the last couple of weeks, so here's a rundown of what I've seen. I still have Nightmare Alley, Thieves' Highway and The Big Heat left to watch on my list (also open to recommendations).
Out of the Past - 6/10
This one's got all the ingredients - sultry, brooding visuals; hardboiled protagonist giving a voiceover; seemingly doomed love interest. The story is a little meandering, though, and never really sunk its hooks into me. So far it's the only noir I've seen with Robert Mitchum in it and he's great. His sleepyfaced sardonic ex-private eye has good chemistry with Jane Greer. There's a good cameo from a young(ish) Kirk Douglas in only his second film role (I think). Worth the watch.
The Maltese Falcon - 5/10
Considered 'the quintessential noir' by some, this came as a bit of a disappointment considering it's rep and the presence of Bogart in the lead. It looks great, and the 'private eye chasing a macguffin' premise is a firm foundation, but the characters are just too cartoonish to be taken seriously at all. A fat man called 'Guttman' who blabbers on longwindedly and some sleazy effeminate North African called 'Johnny Cairo'? All the darkness gets sucked out of the tone; it verges on being more of a comedy crime caper. Perhaps as a result, Bogey also becomes thoroughly unbelievable as a tough guy although his smartarse fast-talking is still in effect. I remember seeing him in The Big Sleep and he was better. Still, this is one of the templates for that kind of archetypal macguffin/jade monkey type wild-goose-chase detective flick.
Laura - 5/10
The first of three films I saw directed by Otto Preminger. Probably the best-received of all his films yet IMO the weakest of those I saw. Essentially, a detective manages to fall in love with a woman, Laura, whose death he is investigating. The end credits of Twin Peaks, with the framed photo of Laura Palmer, was surely a nod to this film and the portrait of the dead Laura which commands the mise en scene in so many scenes. Anyway, it starts well but in the end falls foul of the same brightness and sense of caricature which pulled TMF a little out of the realm of noir. Instead it becomes more of a by-the-numbers murder mystery with little sense of flawed heroes or fatalism. The centrality of the Waldo character to the plot, with his fruity midatlantic accent and exaggerated pomposity, is a really weak seam. Dana Andrews, however, was excellent as the detective, and aside from the visuals he carries the film. He also appears in the other Preminger flicks.
Fallen Angel - 5/10
Dana Andrews seems to have been a very charismatic actor capable of a breadth of silent communication. His tight-faced, calculating expression and simmering eyes are a good fit for the scamming sociopath he plays in this film. Likewise, the plot of 'scam a nice dame to please a toxic one' makes for a darker, grittier feel than the basic whodunnit of Laura. On the flipside, it's not quite as strong visually and the plot is little more than a buildup to Andrews' OK-maybe-I'm-not-a-huge-asshole-any-more moment. Mixed feelings, not bad, could have been better.
Where the Sidewalk Ends - 7/10
The third Preminger/Andrews flick and the best. I just watched this one last night so maybe it just feels much stronger, I dunno. Still I think it manages what the others didn't, which is a successful combo of dark atmosphere, strong plot and strong characterisation. Here, Andrews is a violent cop with a bad rep, trying to escape the shadow of his father's memory (although that facet is only explored later). During his attempt to bring down a murdering gangster, he ends up having to try to elude a murder charge of his own. Andrews' grittiness sells the film, but Scolisi the gangster and the supporting cops are also convincing. The only notable weakness was the blandness of the love interest, played by Gene Tierney (a much-admired actress who was better in Laura).
Double Indemnity - 8/10
I was slow to getting around to this one, because having an insurance salesman as the protagonist just... didn't feel like what I was looking for. Couldn't have been more wrong... this one's got the classic flawed hero/antihero, femme fatale, a grand plot coming apart piece by piece, a heartbreaking betrayal ('bro'trayal, in fact), a fatalistic voiceover in the form of a recorded confession, and of course nice, silky shadowed visuals with hallmarks of the period. The insurance office is actually presented much like any cop precinct, and what with the claims investigation process being depicted as even more rigorous than a police investigation, this still has a real hardbitten detective story feel even without featuring any hardbitten detectives. Best I saw, along with Murder, My Sweet.
Murder, My Sweet - 8/10
This is an adaptation of the Chandler novel, Farewell, My Lovely, which has also had two other film adaptations of that name (one of which features Robert Mitchum). According to internets people, this is the best one. I find little reason to doubt that. Dick Powell plays iconic private dick Philip Marlowe, the same character that Bogart played in The Big Sleep, and from what I understand he took some flak because his Marlowe is too much of a milquetoast and not as tough as Bogey's. I don't get that at all... Powell's Marlowe is perfectly pitched IMO. Getting clobbered all the time and slogging on, jaded voiceover uninterrupted, makes you more of a tough guy, not less. He gets a bit hysterical at one point in order to sell the fact he's been pumped full of drugs, but I liked that, inasmuch as it showed how desperation doesn't rob Marlowe of his irreverence and cynicism. That drugged up bit also has a cool psychedelic sequence.
Another fun character is Moose Malloy, played by 6'5" hulk Mike Mazurki, a mentally deranged ex-con who originally hires Marlowe to find his broad but then plagues him with his intimidating presence, appearing constantly on the brink of murdering Marlowe (or anybody nearby). Could have been the booze but I enjoyed this one a lot.
Night and the City - 7/10
One of two films I watched by Jules Dassin, a director who fell foul of the McCarthyist Hollywood blacklist. His later films, like Rififi, were made outside America as a result. I'm not sure if this one was made when he was blacklisted, but it's set in London and has lots of fascinating 1940's eye candy for me as a Londoner. Dassin is probably the most accomplished of all these film makers in terms of cinematography. Plot-wise, you've got a fast-talking, underachieving hustler who annoys a gangster by entering into competition with him, by becoming a wrestling promoter. Richard Widmark plays a great loser, which is a strong compliment, since to play a convincing loser he has to hint at all the unspoken personality traits which ruin his chances of success. 'Moose Malloy'/Mazurki is also in this as a baddie wrestler. Solid film, but the sense of the protagonist's stinging failure is almost too acute, makes this even more 'feelbad' than your average noir.
Rififi - 6/10
Another from Dassin, in French with English subs. Interesting one. It's more of a straightforward gangster heist movie, although in terms of visuals it's very noir and the main guy is your typical grizzled noir booze&cigs cynic. There's talk of a remake, but tbh this is basically the 1955 version of Ocean's Eleven so any heist film is already like a half-remake of this. The heist scene in particular is spellbinding, with its drawn out silence and long continuous takes. Spoilered for trivia copypasta:
- Mexican authorities pulled the movie from theaters after multiple burglaries were committed employing methods similar to those shown.
- The much imitated heist sequence is over 32 minutes long and contains not a single line of dialogue or music. The production crew and composer Georges Auric thought it would be a disaster to have such a long sequence sans dialogue. Auric insisted that Dassin allow him to write a grand piece of music for the scene and he eventually did on his own. Later Dassin played the part for Auric twice, once with the score, once without. Auric turned to him and admitted, "Without the music".
- Dassin claims his reasoning for the lengthy silence was realism. He explains that this also reinforces their astonishing teamwork under stress and that these men can, and carry these tasks out with no need for words. They work in a state of complete silence where any sound (like Jo bumping the piano) was their mortal enemy. Note that Cesar wears ballet slippers during the heist.
- The jewels stolen during the heist were genuine ones loaned by jeweler Jean Dusausoy, on condition they would be protected by the police.
- In the 1972 robbery of the United California Bank, a group of thieves used Styrofoam adhesive to spray inside of an alarm box. This effectively stopped the arm of the alarm from ringing much like the technique used within the film.
NOW DISCUSS FILM NOIR! (or neo-noir or comic book noir or pseudo-noir) (or don't, I don't mind)
