tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post7144257036247295373..comments2024-01-11T05:02:32.321-05:00Comments on Goodfella's Movie Blog: #10: The Asphalt Jungle (John Huston, 1950)Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-48377669208186232542011-05-09T18:03:54.763-04:002011-05-09T18:03:54.763-04:00I've been reading this blog and Mark Lawrence’...I've been reading this blog and Mark Lawrence’s Cobby is the shifty, nervous bookie that is hard to ever get a handle on, it's the hardest thing but is truth.viagra onlinehttp://www.iservepharmacy.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-65906878632514425302011-01-14T20:23:00.193-05:002011-01-14T20:23:00.193-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.mhdantholzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17442984682275044739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-64606304804029459052011-01-14T20:20:24.829-05:002011-01-14T20:20:24.829-05:00Sam Juliano said...
' Peary does go on to prai...Sam Juliano said...<br />' Peary does go on to praise the "uniformly excellent acting" and the picture "building a convincing case for their being persuasive corruption on ever level of society including the police (but then he says, "spoils it, when in the film's worst scene, Police Chief John McIntire lectures the press about how 99% of cops are honest, and they're out on the streets 24 hours a day protecting the public.)'<br /><br />***R-r-right***<br />A real noir-lefty has to agree with a radical "critic"[*hawk-ptoo*] who objects to ANYTHING good about law enforcement. This is because ALL of these characters came out of the 1970s when referring to cops as barnyard animals was proof of one's "street cred" as a "street-fighting man" speaking "truth to power".<br /><br />At the same time, the ideology of "film noir" was taken up by the radicals infesting college "film studies" programs.<br /><br />The "film noir" ideology was cooked up by some French communists [that's an exacta beloved by film studies majors]in the 1950s---I first read it in a French film mag "Cahiers Du Cinema" in the early 1960s for French class, but it was WAY too bolshie for me: I preferred POSITIF, MIDI-MINUIT FANTASTIQUE.<br /><br />My parents were BLACKLISTED out of show business in Hollywood in the first wave---not just predictable, but inevitable: like the others they were CP die-hards and police-state cheerleaders. My parents had the same lawyer [Aubrey Finn] as DALTON TRUMBO, another sanctimonious blowhard.<br /><br />My dad was Executive Secretary of the Radio Writers Guild, and mom was a minor actress ELLEN PRESCOTT. I loved them and miss them EVERY day, but damn it, they had a fatal blind-spot when it came to Communism, the Soviet Union, etc.<br /><br />Over the years I've been friends with many children of blacklistees and even had a few girlfriends with that pedigree. We find you "film buff" guys VERY VERY STRANGE with your willful delusions about Hollywood history.<br />By indulging in your "noir" fantasy life, you think you're showing "solidarity" with yesterday's losers. <br /><br />You are only exposing your shaky mental process. You do NOT sound like "street-fighting man" "speaking truth to power". You sound like little girls playing dress-up.<br /><br />I managed movie theaters for many years in Manhattan. I KNOW Bogie disliked "Treasure" because it was a FLOP, and he hated "Beat The Devil" too, another Huston dud, which Bogie produced and lost his shirt on.<br />"Asphalt Jungle" also failed with audiences---the manager of the old Capitol told me [when I ran the Criterion] the reason: "NO STARS".<br />The movie theater "trades" of the day will ratify everything I said here.<br /><br />Logic had nothing to do with the predicament you've created for yourselves, with your left-over commie ideology from the '50s---French too, ugh. This is end-stage delusion. <br /><br />You plainly lost your battle with reality long ago, so perhaps sitting in the dark with the shadows, fantasizing an imaginary life far in the past, is all that's left for you.<br /><br />Matthew H. Davidsonmhdantholzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17442984682275044739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-58251448876450787862010-04-17T17:05:36.374-04:002010-04-17T17:05:36.374-04:00Definitely in agreement with you that The Asphalt ...Definitely in agreement with you that <i>The Asphalt Jungle</i> is the greatest heist flick ever made. I remember, however, that when I saw <i>The Killing</i> for the first time I was a bit puzzled by the similarities between the two films. In an audio interview on the new <i>Space Odyssey</i> DVD, Kubrick is talking to a DJ about the plot of <i>The Killing</i> and then the DJ says, "Oh, yeah! Wasn't Marilyn Monroe in it? And doesn't Sterling Hayden die at the end?" Then Kubrick replies, "No... he doesn't die. He gives up. You're thinking of <i>The Asphalt Jungle</i>. That's why you thought Marilyn Monroe was in it."<br /><br />Strange because everybody always touts Kubrick as the supreme auteur (and don't get me wrong, I'm a massive Kubrick fan) when he may or may not have been influenced by Huston's film. I've brought this up to fellow cinephiles on occasion, and they try to dissect the different approaches between the two filmmakers: Huston wants us to sympathize with the thieves, and does so by making fun of the police establishment; while Kubrick is hellbent on showing just how nasty the thieves are, and refuses to kill off his Hayden character because death would be too rewarding for him ("Ehh, what's the point?"). But the presence of Elisha Cook, Jr. in <i>The Killing</i> is another thing to make me wonder if Kubrick was borrowing a little from Huston; Cook had starred in <i>The Maltese Falcon</i> a decade earlier.<br /><br />Sam Jaffe is wonderful in <i>Asphalt Jungle</i>. I can never get enough of that diner sequence towards the end- the scene in which he watches the girl dance shortly before getting arrested.Adam Zanziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14524618281515322239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-39018747017654937452010-04-16T05:13:10.411-04:002010-04-16T05:13:10.411-04:00Burnett's novel must be heralded here. Every ...Burnett's novel must be heralded here. Every characterization, nuance, incidence, as well the plot are taken from the book. Huston gave the story cinematic form, and a top cast fully realised the characters. The opening scene is the best of any noir with that thumping music from Miklós Rózsa.<br /><br />But the best line in the movie is not in the book. As her safe-cracker husband is dying, Maria Cavelli responds to a wailing police siren: “Sounds like a soul in hell”.Tony D'Ambrahttp://filmsnoir.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-3241092802615674122010-04-15T21:52:31.733-04:002010-04-15T21:52:31.733-04:00And Donophon, what you say is more than fair enoug...And Donophon, what you say is more than fair enough.Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-30724335115771527332010-04-15T21:50:54.191-04:002010-04-15T21:50:54.191-04:00Dave, that's really a fantastic response there...Dave, that's really a fantastic response there to Peary's criticism!!!Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-6847424042387539062010-04-15T20:58:32.532-04:002010-04-15T20:58:32.532-04:00Yeah thinking about it a little more Key Largo des...Yeah thinking about it a little more Key Largo deserves to be in Huston's top 5. I love Bogie and Robinson too much in this film. <br />1. The Asphalt Jungle<br />1. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (tie)<br />3. The Maltese Falcon<br />4. Key Largo<br />5. Fat City<br />5. The Dead (tie)........M.RocaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-14339863096681468622010-04-15T20:10:59.741-04:002010-04-15T20:10:59.741-04:00M.Roca - Glad to see you love this one as well. H...M.Roca - Glad to see you love this one as well. Here is how I would make a personal John Huston Top 5:<br /><br />1. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre<br />2. The Asphalt Jungle<br />3. The Maltese Falcon<br />4. Fat City<br />5. Key Largo<br /><br />Doniphon - Agree on your assessment here... you should revisit this one and see how it holds up for you!Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-85078580339971735612010-04-15T20:09:34.539-04:002010-04-15T20:09:34.539-04:00Sam gets his own response space because I want to ...Sam gets his own response space because I want to try and respond to the criticism from Pearry. I think the main issue that I disagree with is the idea that the heist only matters to Calhern, which I think is completely off-base. It might not matter equally to everyone - Gus and Louis seem to be grudgingly drawn in - but it has great importance to the others. For Doc, it's his ticket out of the constant scheming. For Dix, it means the opportunity to return home. He's never going to make it unless he pulls off something big - he ends up making it back anyway, but we see how that turns out for him in the iconic closing shot. This is the same dynamic as The Killing, but Pearry doesn't seem to recognize this. Yes, some characters in The Killing might be more sympathetic, but I think he's off base to back the idea that the audience somehow has "understanding" for the characters in The Killing and their needs for money, while not being able to in The Asphalt Jungle. Sympathy for a guy trying to pay back a loanshark? Or a weaselly man getting money to appease a nagging wife? I don't see how that is any more sympathetic than the situation of Dix.<br /><br />The criticism about the moralizing police commissioner is valid, but that one was one of the concessions that Huston had to make in order for censors to OK the project.<br /><br />I have no problem with Pearry (or anyone) saying The Killing is better than The Asphalt Jungle - ask me tomorrow, I might actually rank them that way. They're that close in my opinion. But I don't think this is due to characters in one film being sympathetic while in the other they aren't.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-65023535093806875282010-04-15T20:03:07.783-04:002010-04-15T20:03:07.783-04:00Stephen - I agree completely.
John - I haven'...Stephen - I agree completely.<br /><br />John - I haven't seen UP TIGHT and actually know very little about it... I need to investigate a bit.<br /><br />Jeffrey - Glad to see another of your favorites in the countdown!<br /><br />Quirky Character - I think Hayden is one of the finest of all noir actors, so I can't get on board with disliking his films simply because he is in them. Are the characters unsympathetic? I can see that, but so is a large portion of the general population, which I think is the point of the story. They may be unsympathetic, but that is due to their personalities, not simply because they are criminals.<br /><br />Shubhajit - Yes, this is an early one that any noir fanatic will likely seek out as they start exploring the genre/style. It really is a collaborative effort where, as you say, every element really seems to come together.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-39947987547091765952010-04-15T18:08:01.575-04:002010-04-15T18:08:01.575-04:00Sam, I'm not going to try to take on that opin...Sam, I'm not going to try to take on that opinion simply because I haven't seen either film in a really long time. But I do think The Asphalt Jungle is the better film, and that Hayden's character is very sympathetic. I remember finding that final shot with him lying in the grass quite moving when I first saw it as a teenager.Doniphonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02407443845368110678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-15759569772738446912010-04-15T17:59:38.794-04:002010-04-15T17:59:38.794-04:00Excellent placements there Maurizio!!! And yes PH...Excellent placements there Maurizio!!! And yes PH and KL would be right behind those.Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-23550733728875951282010-04-15T17:38:40.902-04:002010-04-15T17:38:40.902-04:00Well those are definitely the top 5. Prizzi's ...Well those are definitely the top 5. Prizzi's Honor and Key Largo are also pretty good......M.RocaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-51466988019690864772010-04-15T17:25:03.866-04:002010-04-15T17:25:03.866-04:00Maurizio, I have always believed THE TREASURE OF T...Maurizio, I have always believed THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE to be Huston's greatest film, with THE MALTESE FALCON as the runner-up, but I can't blame you for choosing this either. I have now elevated FAT CITY and THE DEAD to lofty positions among his work too.Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-29660526960715712010-04-15T16:13:12.734-04:002010-04-15T16:13:12.734-04:00A great way to start the top ten Dave. I always go...A great way to start the top ten Dave. I always go back and forth over which noir is greater this or The Killing. Both boil over with tension and suspense from scene to scene. Unlike Quirky I think that Hayden does a magnificent job in both of these films. This may even be John Huston's best movie. I think it's slightly better than The Maltese Falcon and on alternating days of the week better than The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre. ......M.RocaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-30084355128381647362010-04-15T13:12:10.625-04:002010-04-15T13:12:10.625-04:00I do agree with you Dave, in that the technical as...I do agree with you Dave, in that the technical aspects of the heist here do not match Dassin's brilliant RIFIFI, but there's no question this is a towering entry in this genre, and one that is often held as a model in so many ways. I never found this film, however, as superlative as THE KILLING, and it much to do with the emotional connection to these nonetheless fascinating characters. In trying to find a critical assessment that I can fully stand with, I reference here Dnny Peary in his celebrated GUIDE FOR THE FILM FANATIC, where he makes claim that the film's reputation has diminished. Says Peary:<br /><br />"The reputation of John Huston's seminal heist film, which he and Ben Maddow adapted from W.R. Burnett's novel, has diminished somewhat. Because Huston strove for realism, he deglamorized the characters involved in the crime: the result is that we find the characters and their story interesting, but we don't feel empathy for any of them. Ironically, the success of the heist is of paramount importance only to the most respectable participant, Calhern- the piece's villain--so we don't particularly care if the heist fails as we do in a film like THE KILLING, where all the thieves (whom we have sympathy for) desperately need money to have a chance for a happy life. In this film we care only for the women who suffer because of their men's foolish endeavors."<br /><br />Peary does go on to praise the "uniformly excellent acting" and the picture "building a convincing case for their being persuasive corruption on ever level of society including the police (but then he says, "spoils it, when in the film's worst scene, Police Chief John McIntire lectures the press about how 99% of cops are honest, and they're out on the streets 24 hours a day protecting the public.) Adds Peary: "One of the picture's best scenes though, has Jaffe explaining the details of his proposed crime and revelaing the budget--it's almost like a producer trying to see a script to a studio."<br /><br />Does anyone wish to take Mr. Peary on here?<br /><br />There is certainly enough greatness in this film (and it's a dazzling entertainment) to warrant a dismissal of these charges, and I think Dave's magnificent and exhaustive essay makes a stellar argument for the yay-sayers, which I am mostly behind.Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-80841372070432105882010-04-15T11:38:25.180-04:002010-04-15T11:38:25.180-04:00Dave, this happens to be one of my favourite noirs...Dave, this happens to be one of my favourite noirs, hell, one of my favourite films, too. Your review has done full justice to this amazing movie. The performances, the pacing, the character developments, the photography - they all work in perfect sync. And the fatalistic ending - that certainly took this genre to a whole new level altogether. <br /><br />Yeah, how John Huston managed to get away with showing criminals in a sympathetic light in those days of the draconian Hays' Code, is a baffling mystery. And the camaraderie between the thieves, as you've observed, also forms a vital aspect of the plot.<br /><br />And as chance would have it, this happened to be my first conscious viewing of film noir.Shubhajithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02040495040897333606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-31081940544865431892010-04-15T10:53:02.442-04:002010-04-15T10:53:02.442-04:00I guess I'm the only one here that didn't ...I guess I'm the only one here that didn't like this film very much (yes because of Sterling Hayden in the main part, lol). Though I generally like Huston. Maybe I need to watch it again. A bunch of miserable suckers, really, who had it coming. It happens in noirs very often, but I couldn't even root for anyone here -- so unsympathetic they were, all of them. Maybe I could make an exception for Marilyn, just 'cos I love Marilyn, but not for anyone else.Quirky Characterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13590664018386916883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-9923175107656902552010-04-15T08:38:41.632-04:002010-04-15T08:38:41.632-04:00Dave, another one of my all time favorite noirs. ...Dave, another one of my all time favorite noirs. Tremendous review and another excellent pick!Jeffrey Goodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464544798603030406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-91146099437186652462010-04-15T07:10:29.775-04:002010-04-15T07:10:29.775-04:00Claustrophobic and intense with a wonderful cast f...Claustrophobic and intense with a wonderful cast filled with great character actors. Add The Killing, Ocean's 11 and Up Tight (directed by Dassin, a black exploitation remake that has disappeared off the map. Has anyone seen this?) to the list of films that owe a debt to Huston's work. A meticulous piece of work. Excellent review Dave and an excellent choice for the top 10.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808503055317962289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-578997264816756307.post-87492924948114643822010-04-15T02:15:01.758-04:002010-04-15T02:15:01.758-04:00Dave,
One of the very few films of this type that...Dave,<br /><br />One of the very few films of this type that got me caring about each individual- their fears, their weaknesses and their fates.<br /><br />A good film, no doubt.Stephenhttp://checkingonmysausages.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com