Vendredi Noir

filmsite.org

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Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Every frame in this movie is brilliant. From the credit's opening moment, overlaid on a misty anonymous riverfront paved with cobblestones, to the brightly lit pastoral finale, the audience is treated to some of the finest cinematography ever recorded. Truly stunning.

The first series of cuts takes you from the low contrast open through increasingly stark portraits of a city's fringes. There is no mistaking the journey being taken to the edges of society's comfort zone; and from a short presentation by the director John Huston, included on the DVD, we learn that this is a story about "human relationships ... told from the inside out." He quickly adds that while "melodramatic in form, it is NOT melodramatic in content."

Last year I had occasion to wander around MOMA with visiting friends and saw the installation of every frame of Hitchkock's North By Northwest displayed in consecutive rows covering about four square feet
of wall, and was impressed not only with the arresting beauty of the piece, but the concept itself. Wanna watch a movie? Well, here you go: a holistic, holographic interaction re-imagining Alfred Hitchcock's own artistry and vision. Yeah, that'll work — real good. But this ain't Hitchcock. It's Huston.

Though all film noir immediately calls to mind "Fast Talking High Trousers," the genius of that Family Guy parody is directly related to the cultural expression of the age. (Duh... It's funny, 'cause it's true.) IMDB

Next week it's Hitchcock: Strangers on A Train.

*Steely Dan - Black Friday ( Katy Lied )