Featured Movies
Partners
The Asphalt JungleRemade three times (as Cairo, Cool Breeze and The Badlanders), as well as providing the inspiration for a short-lived 1960 TV show, The Asphalt Jungle is nothing if not influential, ensuring the plot has become so familiar you could be forgiven for assuming you've already seen it when you haven't.
A criminal mastermind, Doc Erwin Reidenschneider (Jaffe), convinces a small time hoodlum known as Cobby (Lawrence) and his corrupt lawyer associate 'Lon' Emmerich (Calhern) to front the money for him to carry out a daring jewelry raid. Even before the job is done, the bankrupt Lon starts figuring out ways to double-cross his associates. Once the jewels are acquired things quickly disintegrate. Louis the safe-breaker (Caruso) takes a bullet; the hired muscle Dix - "the hooligan" - has to be restrained from putting another one in Lon; the police start making raids and various wives and mistresses ensure that chaos ensues.
A few clumsy moments aside, the tight script ensures the story remains compelling in spite of its lack of surprises. Not all of the acting is convincing (Marilyn Monroe is particularly wooden in her brief appearance, although her presence on screen is something to behold). Some, however, is fantastic - particularly Lawrence's hapless Cobby, who conveys real sweat-drenched terror at parting with his money and rat-like greed and menace in the face of everything else.
It's in the creation of the film's dark atmosphere that Huston demonstrates the extent of his powers. Even by the standards of its era and genre this is a tough, cynical film noir. "Crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavour," says Lon. In this murky world, husbands are unfaithful and mistresses bleed them dry. Bad guys aren't all that bad, but good guys aren't to be trusted. Cops are corrupt and there's certainly no honour among thieves. All shadows are long. Streets are dingy; buildings squalid. Men are ugly, but their suits are sharp. With one hopelessly noble exception, the women are beautiful but their hearts are cold. Their cynicism only makes them more seductive - just like this bleak classic.
|
