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| Starring: Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney,
Googie Withers, Stanislaus Zbyszko, Herbert Lom,
Francis L. Sullivan Directed
by: Jules Dassin |
Theatrical Release: 1950
DVD Release: 2005
Released by: The Criterion CollectionDolby Digital 1.0
Fullscreen |
| More Dassin Noir  The Criterion Collection has
also released Thieves' Highway, a 1949 Jules Dassin film noir that is often
mentioned in the same breath as Night and the City. It is the story of ex-G.I. Nick
Garcos (Richard Conte, perhaps best known for his final role as Don Barzini in The
Godfather Trilogy), who becomes a long-haul trucker in order to avenge the
maiming of his father at the hands of conniving produce baron Mike Figlia (Lee J. Cobb).
Nick rushes to bring the first crop of apples to Figlia and finds out in the process that
even he can't beat The Man. The plot is far more predictable than that of Night and the
City, and only the performance of Valentina Cortese, as Rica, the
femme-fatale-turned-ally, approaches the complexity of Richard Widmark's Harry Fabian. The
scenes in a produce market are rambunctious and rich, and the interview with Dassin
included on the disc is interesting. As with Night and the City, the Criterion
"high-definition digital transfer" shows obvious care. It is clean and rife with
shadowy nuance -- gorgeous.
...Marc Mickelson
marc@hometheatersound.com |
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|
The movie features some great on-location shooting,
especially at the beginning and end, as Harry runs through the streets and along the
waterfront of London. Harry's smooth image and deep-down humility are what attract his
love interest, Mary (Gene Tierney), and keep her on his side even as he makes a critical
mistake in judgment. Harry's constant scheming and shallow ambition lead to his downfall,
but Mary's love helps make him a sympathetic character.
Criterion has done an amazing job with the black-and-white
transfer. It is clear and devoid of noise, but the brilliant shading -- from dusky to dark
-- is impossible to overlook, as it is responsible for the movie's compelling visual
style. The sound is about as good as it can get given the mono source. Additional
materials include audio commentary from film scholar Glenn Erickson; interviews with
director Jules Dassin in English and French; a discussion of the Benjamin Frankel and
Franz Waxman scores for the English and American versions of the movie, including a few
scenes from the English version not in the American used for the DVD; and the theatrical
trailer. After watching the movie, these extras will deepen understanding and
appreciation.
Widmark's Harry Fabian lacks the brutality of James
Cagney's Cody Jarrett in White Heat, but the motivations of both characters are
similar (minus Cody's mother fixation): the desire to make it big and the notoriety that
comes with it. Both characters epitomize film noir. |
