Directed by:
John HustonCinematography:
Harold RossonComposer:
Miklós RózsaCast:
Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen, James Whitmore, Sam Jaffe, John McIntire, Marc Lawrence, Barry Kelley, Teresa Celli, Marilyn Monroe (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
'Doc' Riedenschneider, legendary crime 'brain' just out of prison, has a brilliant plan for a million-dollar burglary. To pull it off, he recruits safecracker Louis, driver Gus, financial backer Emmerich, and strong-arm man Dix Handley. At first the plan goes like clockwork, but little accidents accumulate and each partner proves to have his own fatal weakness. In the background is a pervasive, grimy urban malaise. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (5)
I saw The Asphalt Jungle as part of a television series of noir films, although it is far from being a typical representative of the genre. Rather, it is a classic heist movie with several noir elements. In the early 1950s, it was an obviously above-average film, but today it stands out only for a few four-star scenes, such as the one with the record player, where a single song and a brief enchantment by a girl's charm decide the fate of a great player. The best impression I had was from the characters of the corrupt hedonistic lawyer, Emmerich, and the cunning Doc, the mastermind of the heist. Their actors dealt with the roles brilliantly. On the other hand, Marilyn Monroe repeatedly proved that she was just a pretty face, lacking any acting skills. Unfortunately, the most significant part was given to the sentimental and melodramatic character of the thief Dix, who is trying to return to his roots on a farm in Kentucky and leave his criminal trade behind. In my opinion, this is not to the benefit of the cause, just like the moralistic ending speech of the high-ranking police officer. A true noir would be much more cynical and would work with a sense of bitter disillusionment instead of tear-jerking tragedy. However, what Huston did excellently is the comprehensive portrayal of the social groups that were involved in the American underworld at that time - from ordinary nobodies to corrupt police officers and bosses and background characters. Overall impression: 65%.
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Men on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Debts, a dark past and lousy prospects. The cops take bribes, the women take sleeping pills (in large quantities). Crime is the only way out. Good doesn’t stand a chance; everyone is corrupt. Basically, there is nothing we can do but accept that as a fact and start pulling for the criminals. Even the ending, which is fair in the intentions of “our world”, gives off a feeling of bitterness. Huston shot a damned dark, humourless heist movie. The action gets going at roughly the midpoint of the plot, after which The Asphalt Jungle doesn’t lose its suspense, unlike its genre siblings. The situation somewhat intensifies, the actors take off their masks and reveal their sensitive aspects. More than the heist itself, I enjoyed the transformations of the roles depending on who was holding the reins. No one is above the matter at hand, someone is above everyone. There are perhaps too many characters; on the other hand, each of them stands at a different level of the complicatedly interconnected criminal world. The “organic” title thus makes perfect sense; cut down one tree and the whole (criminal) system will come crashing down. 80%
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William Riley Burnett may be the author of the foundation of the gangster genre, Little Caesar, but two decades later he made only a plain raw heist noir. Huston made The Asphalt Jungle as a routine dead movie full of sterile shots and lost existences. All the characters are black-and-white genre templates and their performances are completely devoid of emotion, which is why it is such a joy to watch the few scenes with MM, whose authenticity can wake the dead.
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Standard-issue John Huston. The Asphalt Jungle may not boast such ornate characters as The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and the screenplay is hardly surprising with its tired scheme, but it’s still a film-noir of undeniable quality, with a properly constructed atmosphere of rotten criminal souls and with anti-heroes so sympathetic that we are happy to keep our fingers crossed for them even in their desperate struggle against an inevitable fate. The film is dominated by a sense of hopelessness and Huston revels in it, unravelling the twists and turns and intrigues just right so that instead of fizzling out into nothingness with its expected conclusion, the story leaves an emotional trace. I can't say it fully succeeds, but my hungry viewer cells were sufficiently satiated anyway, the expiry date still marks a very durable commodity. 80%
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John Huston skillfully captured the dark atmosphere of the criminal world, creating layers of criminality represented by each character. Marilyn Monroe is beautifully innocent here, and perhaps it's just as well that she appears only in a supporting role. However, the actors overall carry the well-directed film excellently. The pace is sometimes extremely slow, though.
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