10/15/06 The Asphalt Jungle

The Asphalt Jungle (1950), directed by John Huston

watched solo; DVD rental (North American Video) @ home

Thought by many to have taken the film noir genre and added the great idea of a "caper film" to its repertoire, this intense classic still remains powerful in its presentation. Directed by Huston, the great acting is a cast of bandits including Sterling Hayden as Dix and others going by the monikers Gus, Lon, Cobby, Louis and Doll. Doc, who is recently released from prison, decides to plot the greatest and most ingenious jewel heist in history. To pull off the caper, Doc enlists the help of tough guy Dix, bar owner Gus and family guy Louis; and finally the financial backing of bigwig Lon to hold onto the loot. However, deception abounds and Lon has his own thoughts about fencing the jewels and getting the money all for himself. When the fellas catch wind of this, all Hell is gonna break loose. The cops get involved, everyone is out to get one another, and many underhanded dealings ensue. Not only is the twisting storyline exciting, but the stoic visual treatment given by the black & white cinematography is exquisite. Everything about the film, its acting, its enticing titular allusion and its foreboding score allow us to be sucked into this harsh world of criminals and deception. It still stands as a landmark heist film, which all too often these days get foiled by their own over-saturation of plot twists, and explosive action scenes. This is truly how to pull off a great caper.

4 out of 5 stars