The Killing (1956) – Film-Noir

Posted on July 2, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Sterling Hayden, the film follows a group of crooks and everyday race track workers who carry out an intricate robbery. In the planning stages they have everything figured out completely with one small disturbance. When the day arrives, the plan begins as expected. Each man takes his place in order to do his part. Perfectly coordinated with a disruption in the race and a planned riot. Hayden grabs all the money he can and drops it to an accomplice with hardly a snag. While waiting to split the heist there is finally a wrench in the plans that turns fatal. Hayden catches wind of it and splits as was decided beforehand. With his money and his girl he gets ready to leave the trouble behind him. In a final cruel twist of fate his plan is accidentally uncovered. The shock takes all the fight out of him. This film is wonderfully constructed with its different point of views all hinging on race #7 and the subsequent “killing.”

4.5/5 Stars

The Killers (1946) – Film-Noir

Posted on July 2, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring Burt Lancaster in his debut as well as Ava Garner, the film begins with two gunmen killing “The Swede” (Lancaster) in a small town. Interested in the mystery, an insurance investigator named Reardon (Edmund O’Brien) tries to piece together the past of the dead man. He works to gather more information and talks to “The Swede’s” former friend as well as a hotel worker, and a past cell mate. Through a series of flashbacks Reardon slowly strings together the past including “The Swede’s” boxing career, his time in prison, and especially an alluring woman, Kitty Collins (Gardner).In the climatic scene Reardon finally meets the beautiful Kitty. Only after a series of events and her quick getaway does he grasp the whole truth. Kitty was a deadly double crosser. However, in a cruel twist her partner in crime is killed and her fate is sealed. This is an exciting film noir with solid acting and a great style of storytelling. This was my first experience with director Robert Siomak, and I must say I was quite impressed.

4.5/5 Stars

Touch of Evil (1958) – Film-Noir

Posted on July 1, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, and Orson Welles, this film is one of the last examples of what is considered true film-noir. In a small, dangerous, run down, border town, a mysterious car bombing murder takes place. A Mexican investigator who is a newlywed (Heston) and a hardened American policeman (Welles) join forces on the case. However, soon the case becomes complicated with corruption, kidnapping, and plotting. With his wife in danger, Heston must save her while trying to crack the mystery. Only after some time does he realize the man with the touch of evil. The protagonist wins but that does not mean there is not tragedy as well. Orson Welles does it again with this intriguing film. The opening shot alone shows the brilliance of Welles. This film is one worth seeing, showcasing director Welles and good acting by the entire cast.

4.5/5 Stars

White Heat (1949) – Film-Noir

Posted on June 18, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring James Cagney, Edmund O’Brien, and Virginia Mayo, once again Cagney does the gangster role. However, his Cody Jarret is older and more psychotic than ever as he leads his band of thugs. Although he has a beautiful wife, the main woman in Jarret’s life is his mom who watches over him. After an initial robbery, Jarret beats the rap by confessing to a smaller crime. While he is in jail the police plant one of their men (O’Brien). Eventually the pair and a crew of cronies break out and plan their next move. However, the undercover man cleverly tips off his colleagues and they follow in hot pursuit. Pretty soon the only one left is Jarret and he is isolated near high above near a gas storage tank. In a crazy fit, Jarret yells to his ma that he has made it to the top of the world as he goes up in flames. This movie has wonderful suspense in the end and Cagney is chilling yet again.

5/5 Stars

The Public Enemy (1931)

Posted on June 7, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring James Cagney, the story follows Tom Powers as he and his friend Matt grow up in Chicago and eventually get involved with the gangsters of the Prohibition era. Tom’s life of crime gives him money and female company. However, it causes a division with his older brother. He sticks with his life and continues acting as an enforcer for other gangsters. Every barrel of beer he delivers has blood behind it. As always fate catches up with Matt and eventually Tom. His life reveal the problems with Public Enemies. This is Cagney’s breakthrough performance and it makes sense because he literally steals the show. With every slug, slap, grapefruit, and devilish grin he captures the screen.

4.5/5 Stars

High and Low (1963)

Posted on May 20, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune, the film opens with a wealthy shoe company executive as he tries to struggle for control of the company. He makes a big gamble, waging everything he has to try and succeed. However, things take a bad turn when he believes his son has been kidnapped and the culprit wants an enormous payoff. It turns out that the son of Mr. Gondo’s chauffeur was taken but that makes no difference to the kidnapper. Mr. Gondo finally resolves to make the payoff and then the police who have been advising him take it from there. They work diligently to gather all the evidence they can and the net slowly begins to close The police finally find the culprit, catch him in the act, and recover most of the money. However, in a meeting with Mr. Gondo the man who is about to die wants no pity at all. Despite the relatively long length of this film, it held my interest. All I had seen of Kurosawa before this were samurai films and so this gave me a different look at his work.

4.5/5 Stars

The Sting (1973)

Posted on May 9, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Robert Shaw, the film follows a small time con man (Redford) as he joins forces with an old pro (Newman) to pull an elaborate Sting on a shady banker (Shaw). The two meet after the death of a mutual friend and they set up a complicated plan. With the help of their friends, the two of them make contact and thus begins the adventure. Soon the con man gains the trust of the victim. However, the plan gets even more complicated when a heartless cop and the feds come onto the scene. The double-crossing con is then forced to cross his partners he and faces the consequences. Then, one final twist and you have the worlds greatest Sting. With its ragtime music, 1930s setting, and ensemble cast including Ray Walston, Harold Gould, and Dana Elcar, this film is full of excitement and certainly worth seeing.

4.5/5 Stars

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Posted on February 14, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring Jimmy Stewart, George C. Scott, Lee Remick, and a cast of others, the film follows a small town lawyer (Stewart) as he defends a man who has committed murder. The whole case is complicated by the fact that the Lieutenant’s beautiful wife was supposedly raped by the murdered man. Now Stewart must battle it out in court using every strategy he knows in order to save his client. With the help of witnesses and evidence both sides have substantial cases. However, Stewart finds the topper in the dead man’s daughter, hoping this will save his client’s life. Despite the valiant effort of the prosecuting attorney and Stewart, everything is in the hands of the jury so now all they can do is wait. With an interesting score, a methodical story, and a great cast, this movie was a good one. The judge especially made this film enjoyable for me and you certainly cannot beat Stewart. It should also be noted that this film has one of the most famous movie posters of all time which was designed by Saul Bass.

4.5/5 Stars

Rashomon (1950)

Posted on December 27, 2012 by 4 Star Films

Directed by the famed Akira Kurosawa, the film starts off with two men eventually joined by a third. Both seem very melancholy and they explain this is because of something that happened three days earlier. Apparently a bandit met a husband and wife on the road and raped the wife with the husband being killed. However, this event is shown in four different accounts all varying greatly and we never learn what is fact and what is actually fiction. Because of this horrible event, one of the men who is a priest loses faith in mankind. The film ends just as it began with the two men alone under a pagoda watching the driving rain. However, an act of kindness quickly renews the priest’s belief. Kurasawa’s film certainly has an interesting plot device and camera work. Historically, it is also important because it introduced the world to Japanese cinema

5/5 Stars

Stray Dog (1949)

Posted on December 26, 2012 by 4 Star Films

Directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura, the plot revolves around a rookie cop who has his gun swiped on a trolley in Tokyo. The young man is obsessive about getting his weapon back and after reporting the missing gun, he walks the streets looking for answers. His searching leads to a gun racket and after a crime is committed the rookie partners with an old vet on the case. They eventually wind up at a baseball game and begin searching for a man named Yusa. Another crime is committed and now the pair question a reluctant show girl. The older Sato follows the trail of Yusa and meets with trouble. Finally, the girl talks and the desperate rookie searches for the mysterious Yusa. In their final showdown he rights everything and retrieves his gun. I found this film-noir very atmospheric with post-war Tokyo and heat and humidity that you can almost feel. The two main characters have a solid chemistry because only together can they catch the Stray Dog.