Well Deserved Praise

Dreadfully Boring

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Well, this is for sure one of the coolest films I discovered in 2017. I was also discovering Gerald Kersh's writing at this time, and I read that there was a film based on his novel of the same name (which I still haven't read, incidentally), that some people considered a classic of noir. I expected good things, but the film in fact surpassed my expectations.Harry Fabian. Wow, you could talk quite a bit about a guy like this, and you probably know someone a bit like him. He's really bad news, yet somehow manages to be strangely, almost, likable despite himself. Maybe much of this is down to Richard Widmark's portrayal, which is manic and infectious, like that of an intense and earnest salesman, one who might surprise you sometimes by bursting into a silly song and hopping around with completely un-self-conscious glee. Apparently the book harry is nastier, but the thing is, when you get to the bottom of Widmark-Harry's schemes, he is really a rotten bastard and you know you should hate him for being such a user of people and an abuser of trust. Yet somehow, I think, you can't quite bring yourself to despise him as much as he obviously deserves, and I think that's interesting. Harry is always looking for the "next big thing", so he can get "in on the deal". He's full of big ideas. Most of them are total bullshit, but a guy like harry might just be able to string people along for long enough to get away with it, right under their noses, so to speak. You have to think, too, that the guy is probably kind of insane. There's that scene where Harry comes breathlessly into Mr. Nosseros's place, saying, "I'll control wrestling!", and Nosseros finds this so deleeriously crazy and amusing that he explodes with laughter right in Harry's face, and can't stop. Harry though -- he just keeps on talking, raising his voice to combat being laughed at, until he's shrieking! It's wild.So Harry is at the centre of all this, but there are actually a whole load of great, memorable characters in this thing. The fat, jovial and fiendish Mr. nosseros, for instance; his scheming, frustrated wife Helen; and, of course, the unforgettable Gregorius, played by real-life wrestling champion Stanislaus Zbyszko. Now, I like to imagine kersh was pleased with this movie (even though they apparently have changed quite a few things), and one of the reasons is Zbyszko's involvement. I like to think, as a fan of wrestling himself, he would have been chuffed that the old guy ended up in one of his stories. Well, Stanislaus Zbyszko supposedly never acted before, but he nailed this, utterly. His character is both tragic and extremely sympathetic; his death absolutely one of the most poignant things about this film, and the moment that marks Harry's going over the line and beyond redemption.Speaking of wrestling ... The Scene. If this kind of film isn't really your thing, I guess this one scene of Gregorius and "The Strangler" having it out is going to be the thing that'll stick in your mind. It's a hell of a scene, really, and goes on for several minutes. It's all done completely without music, and you can hear every grunt and smash, see every detail and almost *feel* the power of the struggle. It's incredibly visceral, I think, for an English/American film of 1950.Another interesting facet of this classic is that there are two versions. The American cut seems better in most respects, but i think the British one has superior music, and it also includes a great early domestic scene between Widmark and Gene Tierney that is rendered a perfunctory nothing in the American cut (actually it's a completely different scene). There's an informative documentary that comes on the DVD which explains a lot of detail about the two versions and how they differ. I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff, for some reason.The casting is of course great, and I haven't even mentioned some of the highlights of that aspect of the film. Only trouble is, a few of these people are dreadfully underused. I personally wouldn't have minded if the film were half an hour longer, but that's probably because I appreciate the world and characters of its creation so much. Besides, I can't really think the film would have been drastically improved by giving Gene more to do, for instance. Another thing I have to note is that there are probably a few too many Americans in the cast. Nothing's really wrong with that, of course, but the film is supposed to take place in (and indeed was shot in) England, and the juxtaposition of notable English performers with less-experienced American ones putting on an accent is a bit obvious. Don't worry though; Widmark just talks like Widmark and doesn't try to sound like a Brit.

Wonderful movie; good acting, meaningful plot, and film noir ending, but still storywise a missed opportunity of greatness.Spoilers ahead:Why did the scriptwriters not opt for the following: letting the main character get it all: the ultimate wrestling match, only to witness the death of the old master wrestler Gergorius (Stanislaus Zbyszko) afterwards? The character Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark) would really have had it all: fame, fortune but also the ultimate bad luck. Gregorius' son would want to revenge him, as in the movie but only later. In this scenario Fabian could have offered something in his sacrifice, namely his fortune to his girlfriend before dying at the hands of gangsters hired by the son of Gergorius (Herbert Lom). That would have been a powerful ending, also showing how fickle fame and fortune is, how the tide can change even after you think all is settled. It could still have given the subplot to make Fabian fight for the money with Philip Nosseross to get the match, but it could have been a smaller part of the movie. Instead, the movie chose to let Gergorius die early in a fistfight without public, making clear there would never be a fight, and putting too much emphasis on a manhunt of Harry Fabian. It basically prematurely killed the movie and the ending, since the girl got nothing in the end. Or maybe it just was not my taste, since after all this was the ultimate noir ending, with no happy endings for anyone.

This film was either ahead of its time, or today's copycat films are way behind. Director Jules Dassin, one of the 'born in the USA' crew was hunted out of his homeland by his own contemporaries for 'comunistic' political leanings. Here we see him at work in the UK and angry at everyone.In 'city' he's working with Screenwriter and fellow American Jo Eisinger. Eisinger tends to excel writing about psychologically driven characters and 9 yrs later would co-write the screenplay for the rare (possibly now lost) but worth looking for German film "As The Sea Rages" Berlin born Director of Photography Max Green (Thunder Rock '42 - Hatters Castle '42) has, under direction of Dassin, created what ranks as one of the most visually striking 'Noir' films to date. It would be interesting to know who called what shot as there are many classic Dassin stylistic touches throughout this collaboration.It's just a pity the characters don't hold more interest. Peopled with 98% despots, has beens, and morally bankrupt no-hoper's, there's no-one to identify with unless you fit into the same crowd. The revealing German title: "The Rat of Soho" summed it all up aptly! The only halfway decent character is played by Gene Tierney, then even she works for the super shady 'Silver Fox' establishment. Ms Tierney's role is a token part but she's very good with it and her character is integral to story. This is possibly the role Richard Widmark was born for (even though he may have been wanting better characters to play) as Harry Fabian he is practically the whole show, and unfortunately in Hollywood when you're this good at being bad, your stuck with it!Exeptionaly good also, are the many strong British players that pepper this grueling watch. There seems to be a marked absence of the British 'Bobby on the beat' or other Law officers (even though everyone seems to be constantly running through the cities streets) perhaps, this aspect gives a misrepresentation of Britain at the time.Starting right from the opening of the 20th Century Fox trademark (minus the famous fanfare) the music commands your attention with powerful orchestral statements complete with Bells. This to me sounded like it could have been a remnant of the British version with its score written by Benjamin Frankel (Frankel did a similar thing under the Columbia trade mark of his '55 film "The End Of The Affar" to equally dramatic effect) The score then tends to change to what could be a more up tempo piece by Franze Waxman, composed for the American release. It's fairly obvious the descriptive incidental music by Waxman had set the tone for several other film score composers who followed during the latter 50's - 70's. The British version has been restored by the B.F.I. and would make for interesting viewing at 6mins longer. Much lauded 'modern' film makers such as Scorsese, Tarantino, among others throughout the world, grew up on these films and are constantly copying this, and other similar works, but they too have dumbed down the genre with flashy techniques, ultra gore and crude language to hide the fact they are often working with empty characters, below average scripts and situations, leaving little doubt that their possible intentions are simply to glorify ugliness because they sadly enjoy it.'City' is seductively good to look at, while it may not be completely satisfying to some, 'Moderns' may have more chance of enjoyment because they may have had little else to compare it with.

O.K. kiddies The Monkey has a terrific one for you today. It is a superb late Film Noir from England called Night And The City. Now, part of the reason The Monkey is such a bastard half the time, is because he watches way too much Noir. I mean here is a genre that screams ' it does not matter what you do, because you're screwed anyway' with a super happy fun-time sub-theme of, the harder you try to claw your way out, the further back you will find yourself.Night And The City is directed by the masterful Jules Dassin, who also directed the equally impressive noir The Naked City as well as two of the originators of the heist genre, Riffi and Topkapi. Dassin was blacklisted while he was shooting Night And The City, and let me tell you any person that is held suspect by THE MAN is my kind of people.Night And The City is about a two-bit bar hustler named Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark, my favorite Noir actor), who stumbles upon a plan to corner the market in wrestling. Unlike his numerous other schemes, this one just may work. Arrayed against him are the principal mobster in London Kristo (the appropriately shady Herbert Lom), Fabian's lover Helen Nosseros (Googie Withers), and his business partner (and Helen's husband) Philip Nosseross.One of the highlights of Night And The City is the cinematography. Unlike many Noirs where low-key light is simply a method representative of film noir, and the city is its setting, Night And The City imbues them with a living palpable menace. The darkness is not just a lack of light, but instead comes from the dark souls of those with whom Fabian has surrounded himself. The darkness shrouds the many dangers of Fabians own dark and exploitative nature. It also hides the assassins after Fabian, more than it hides him. It is in the darkness that Harry drags himself, and all those around him, to their inevitable demise.In other Noirs, there is often the false belief that protagonist can get ahead if he just leaves the city. Often they do, and their deeds follow them. In Night And The City, there is no such hope for Fabian. London is his prison, and its tenement's and towers only force him onward, onward, in his mad dash towards his hoped for impossible escape from the city. These hopes of escaping across the Thames by boat or by bridge are thwarted by the opportunistic waterfront thieves and swindlers he had once called his friends, the bridges guarded by thugs in the employ of Kristo.Night And The City also makes a fun drinking game. The rules are easy, every time someone uses a derivative of the phrase "You're a dead man" to Fabian you take a drink. Now The Monkey can't recommend this as you are likely to pass out long before the conclusion of the film. That is unless of course getting blind stinking drunk is your goal. Whatever your plan may be, I urge you to watch this movie as soon as you can. If nothing else, it will make all of your troubles seem trivial compared to those of Harry Fabian.