An Ad-Vantage To Noir

The Killing

(1956)



Directed by- Stanley Kubrick

*Sterling Hayden, Elisha Cook Jr., Jay C. Flippen, Ted de Corsia, Joe Sawyer, Marie Windsor

There are heist films and then there's a heist film by Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick only a budding genius back then made this film on a small budget in collaboration with his patron James Harris, with a restricted reign on his artful imagination and yet he did a fantastic job. His innovative idea of telling the story through various vantage points adds a freshness to every iteration while also building up the excitement.

The story about a bunch o' hoodlums who plan to make a fortune by ripping off a racetrack, flows smoothly until their schemes are spilled to the greedy wife of one of their own. This sets in motion various nefarious schemes that greatly affect the solution of this potboiler affair.

The film also explores the 'human element' in an erstwhile perfect heist. The element of avarice, wrath and simple nerves playing its part in a cog-and-wheel situation and how that affects the conclusion.

Cleverly directed with a few shots that stand out particularly, make brilliant use of light with a dexterous play of shadows. The meeting in a shady apartment or the scene where George goes to kill his unfaithful wife, the expression on his bloodstained face, remain etched in memory long after.

(George here being the memorable gunsel from 'The Maltese Falcon', Elisha Cook Jr., ah how well Kubrick utilizes him)

The acting by everyone is fine. Marie Windsor as the insatiable vamp leaves a mark, as does Cook Jr. However the lead actor Sterling Hayden fails to impress. It's still Kubrick who's the real star of his film.

But a character that sticks with you is the wise old wrestler, Maurice. With his overflowing knowledge and superior intellect, the mountain of a man manages to impress albeit having a short role.

 

The shots are planned well, the racetracks are depicted in their expanding vastness and the horses look beautiful indeed. From the gloomy indoor settings to the bright outdoors Lucien Ballard captures everything splendidly.

But it's the screenplay, adapted from a novel by Lionel White and written by Kubrick himself that towers above all. The dialogues, such as those between the husband and wife where he convinces her of his love and she, quite shrewdly coaxes him to spill the beans add flesh and blood to the narrative. Even the narration, which does provide a slight documentary look, reminiscent of his shorts, is convincing.

The justice done to the characters and the untold yet evident fate of the sole survivor delivers a chilling blow.

Overall, a darn good film. Very different from the rudimentary noirs, in both styling and substance and yet true to the roots of the genre, this one is certainly one of the best heist films you've seen.

Kubrick is the man, or God. Whichever you will prefer.

Rating- 4.5/5

Chasing Through A Dreamland

The Night of the Hunter

(1955)




Directed by- Charles Laughton

*Robert Mitchum, Billy Chapin, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish

Charles Laughton's inspiring noir thriller about a murderous Preacher is one of those early works of genius which basically created the templates that many films would follow for years to come.
As the menacing Reverend Harry Powell calls for the two innocent children in a sing song voice you can virtually feel the tension seeping through the screen and into the sweat of your palms.

Utilizing brilliant set design and the remarkable camerawork by Stanley Cortez, Laughton creates a dreamland which the two nimble protagonists endeavor through. That is how poetic the language of the film is. From the town to the river, the farm and the house of Miss Cooper, the perilous journey of John and Pearl, forming the centerpiece of the film is depicted very, very artfully.

And it's not just the sets but the lighting and the play of shadows conducted by Cortez that leave an indelible mark on one's mind.

(The giant shadow of Powell's head caused by a streetlamp inside the children's bedroom or the scene where the Preacher murders the mother in that crypt-like room.)

But what accompanies the narrative smoothly while enhancing the dread of the scenes is Walter Schumann's unforgettable music. With two original pieces, 'Lullaby' and 'Pretty Fly' (the latter being so enchanting I still can't stop humming) that are placed perfectly, the score is haunting and melodious at the same time.

Also making use of the traditional hymn, 'Leaning in the Everlasting Arms' as a motif for the killer, Laughton creates a chilling picture of vice and villainy through the mere use of a song.

But the film is so brilliant in its symbolism and the contrasts that watching it and unraveling these beautiful secrets is a treat in itself.

Such as, the literally angelic representation of Rachel Cooper (in the beginning), while she plays the role of a guardian angel for the kids; a bible-reading, god-fearing angel.

And Icey and Walt Spoon's switch into the cursing forebears of the mob is justifiably humorous.

Though what slightly put me off was the anti-climactic end of Harry Powell.

Then it's the acting. Robert Mitchum is every bit perfect as the seething villain, Harry Powell; the serpent with the silver tongue. His mannerisms, his accent and distinguished baritone and the way he narrates that 'Story of Good and Evil', all of it forms an image of a perfectly loathsome character, dimpled chin and all.

Lillian Gish as the benevolent Miss Cooper looks the part. Her kind motherly face and the slight quiver in her voice and the resolute firmness in the way she cocks her shotgun, it is all promising.

Finally, its the boy, Billy Chapin who plays an important role so very effectively.

This film is as deep in meaning as it is visually stunning.

It will remain not just one of the most unforgettable noirs but also a film that formed a brilliant specimen of cinema.

Rating- 4.4/5

A New Twist of Nuclear Noir Nihilism.

Kiss Me Deadly
(1955)


Directed by- Robert Aldrich
*Ralph Meeker, Maxine Cooper, Gaby Rodgers, Nick Dennis, Cloris Leachman

A sleepy film noir that takes the turn of a sci-fi espionage film by the end as it reaches maximum mystery and a chilling end!

Mike Hammer is a shady private eye who pimps his secretary for blackmailing wealthy and adulterous husbands. 
One night while driving along the highway as he gives a lift to a mysterious girl he ends up getting caught in a web of unresolved answers and two-faced players.
Trying to find the killers of the mystery girl, he ends up losing his friends on this insane vendetta and much more.
But as the smoke clears and revelations are made Hammer looks in the face of a plot far more greater and sinister than he had ever imagined.

The film builds up slowly, never giving away what its really about as you hang on to loose ends while character after character are introduced and the protagonist gropes helplessly in the dark, but scriptwriter A. I. Bezzerides does a fantastic job with tying up those ends in a perfect knot which has the thrills and the chills.

The direction is also very good, some of the shots are clearly distinctive of a noir and go along with the detective-in-pursuit motif splendidly.
Meanwhile Meeker fills in the tough guy role effortlessly. He knows how to grin mercilessly as he tortures his victims and to clench his jaw when in a fix. 
This film however has two femme fatales as opposed to the one. Maxine Cooper's slutty secretary Velda who traps rich husbands for her boss, however, pales in comparison to the diabolical vixen Gabrielle, played superbly by Gaby Rodgers. Her heel in the end is one of the most chilling femme fatale moments of film noir.

Overall the film which starts off as a cheesy, whodunit (and remains so until almost halfway through) boils down to a gritty nihilistic take on themes never before explored in this dark genre.
One of the pathbreaking films of Noir.

Rating- 3.7/5
Heavily recommended. You will be surprised.

Mythbusting & Mindblowing! 'Indie'd...

The Man From Earth

(2007)



Directed by- Richard Schenkman

*David Lee Smith, Tony Todd, John Billingsley, Ellen Crawford, Annika Peterson




An indie movie with such an amazing concept that hits you in the gut like a sledgehammer and leaves you awestruck, suspended in the air, for its 1 hour 27 minutes of running time.
To put it simply, John Oldman is a professor who unexpectedly resigns from his post. He is also a 14000 year old Cro-Magnon caveman.
Set entirely in the living room of his house where he narrates his extraordinary story, from prehistoric to the present, to his initially unbelieving and eventually bewildered friends.

Written by Jerome Bixby (as his last work) the film spans over a vast canvas of themes and notions of human history, exploring and doing justice to all possible premises. John's journey is described amid heated discussions and humorous arguments and that saves it from being a fairytale occupied by its own grandness. 
In fact the film plays with your emotions expertly while challenging theories and even facts we so firmly believe in, in a tongue in cheek kind of a manner.

The crucial moment when John makes one of the most astounding revelations is handled deftly. The horror it creates somehow shadowing over the awesomeness it exudes.
Though nothing substantial happens throughout the screenplay and all we learn is John's fantastic backstory, the magnitude of the effect it has on it's audience is nothing short of, no, much greater than biblical.

The acting by the entire cast is good. Especially by David Lee Smith as the primeval professor John Oldman. And he is supported well by Tony Todd as the inquisitive and mildly supportive Dan and the cheerful Biologist Harry played by John Billingsley.

However, there are a few chinks in the armor, primarily technical issues such as some parts of the dubbing and in the handling of certain scenes, especially towards the end which muff the overall dexterity of the narrative.
But the final gut-punch by John Oldman (or any one of the various pseudonyms he has adopted if you prefer) which you may somehow foresee, still leaves you shaken, impressed and in wonder of just how amazing this film is.


Rating- 3.8/5
Be prepared to have your minds blown. Blown to bits I say.
What a fantastic idea!