The Asphalt Jungle
|
List Price: Our Price: $5.36 You Save: $14.61 (73%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.95 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Asphalt Jungle
Movie Review: Often Copied - Never Equaled: Great Crime Caper Comes to DVD
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Asphalt Jungle" make the film one of the essential destinations for fans of film noir. The films artfully gritty atmosphere is perhaps its best selling feature, though, truth be told, there is nothing about the production that is second rate. Basically, it's a jewel heist caper gone horribly wrong but carried off with such panache and attention to detail by director, John Huston that one has to admire both the economy of plot and depth of characters fleshed out within the context of two hours. Huston's great knack for extolling unusual and breakthrough performances from his ensemble is working overtime on this occasion. While we might be used to seeing Sam Jaffe as a nefarious rogue (here, he's Doc, the criminal mastermind with a weakness for hoop earrings and tight skirts), the extraordinary off kilter performance of Louis Calhern - as middle aged fencer, Ennrich/sugar daddy to Marilyn Monroe, is so menacing in its undertone, that one wishes the actor had been given the opportunity to play more such parts. There is nothing cartoonish or cliché about any of the characters in the film. Sterling Hayden's particularly powerful as Dix Handley, the tense enforcer of the group. This is a story about out of control people losing control of their lives. Huston captures the immediacy of these tragic lives and the overwhelming sense of doom. As one might expect, it ends badly for all concerned though, within the context of this review I won't say exactly how.The transfer on "The Asphalt Jungle" is better than average, though it's not perfect. The gray scale has a richly balanced look with deep solid blacks and clean whites. On occasion grain looks heavier than it should and contrast levels seem a tad low. Still, this DVD is considerable improvement over previously issued VHS tapes. Age related artifacts are present but do not terribly distract. The audio is mono but nicely balanced. The more intent listener will notice some hiss but nothing that will distract. Drew Casper provides the audio commentary here. There are a few inserts of audio from James Whitmore that will most surely enhance your appreciation for this film. All in all, another good disc to add to your library of classic film noir.
Movie Review: Pick Your Poison
Summary: 4 Stars
Won't bother with a synopsis here, just a list of a few things which knocked me out: Marc Lawrence as Cobby: the pockmarked, jumpy, scumbag booze hound, who gives a fabulous performance; the unworldly sexiness of Marilyn Monroe; the unctuous, supercilious Louis Calhern; the moment when Marilyn snuggles up to Calhern and gives him a passionate kiss: creepy stuff this, considering the age difference, and quite daring for 1950; the beautiful black and white photography and dramatic lighting; the powerful closeups which tell so much about the characters; the pathetic Jean Hagen character, who has a bad thing for Sterling Hayden's Dix; the great character actor Anthony Caruso, born 40 years too early for "The Sopranos"; and finally, Sam Jaffe, the Doc, who lingers too long in the truckstop cafe, gazing salaciously at the body of a gyrating teenage girl. The camera actually lingers and moves over her curves, almost caressing her, which is exactly what the Doc is doing, in his dirty mind.
Again, pretty powerful stuff for the time. Don't forget the youthful Strother Martin in the lineup at the beginning of the film. John McIntyre, a few years later in the landmark TV series The Naked City, gives a forceful performance as well, as a tough police commissioner.
Sterling Hayden was the Russell Crowe of his generation. Make sure you see The Killing, an early Kubrick powerhouse movie, also featuring Hayden.
Movie Review: A timeless film noir !
Summary: 4 Stars
The european narrative of John Huston previews somehow the famous Rififi which two years before that film would be made . In this case Huston focuses his attention around four men without destiny ; each one with his personal dragons , fears and troubles .
Emmerich , the handsome and master brain of the great robe is a double life husband ; good manners, refinement but he is broken and needs this robe to pay his debts and keep his missed status . Her lover is Marilyn Monroe .
In the other hand we have to Sterling Hyde a man without any illusion in th life but to gamble in the horse races.
The third of this quartet is the meticulous pioneer of the idea . He will make all the theoric plan and will hire the required personal.
And finally we have the nasty and weak double face thief : he is accustomend to pay some members of the police and he regents a house of games .
This quartet will experience a real twist of fate and the human factor will lead them to hell .
The notable and descriptive description of every single character will be closing the circle till the end .
You may argue a certain romantic touch
If the end would have been opened maybe the sum would have been a full circle , but anyway the depiction of the fall of all these four man and his respective social circles sustains the interest of the viewer to the end .
Good film but not a masterpiece !
Movie Review: Good Noir/Good True Crime
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Asphalt Jungle" is a good, solid noir/ heist movie. AJ was shot in beautiful black and white against a grim, unspecified urban background. The cast work is excellent, with Sterling Hayden, Sam Jaffe, James Whitmore, Marc Lawrence and Anthony Caruso as the robbers. For a crew of bad guys, they are surprisingly likable; this viewer was rooting for them! Some had families, girl friends and wives to support. Those roles are in stark contrast to a crooked police detective, Barry Kelley and the overbearing Police Commissioner, John McIntire. Those two were hard to root for! AJ also features fine work by smarmy, greasy Louis Calhern as the fixer/fence and his unlikely girlfriend, a very young Marilyn Monroe. Hollywood noticed AJ! It received 1950 Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Jaffe). And Best Screenplay (Director John Huston and Ben Maddow), losing in each case to "All About Eve". AJ has only one weakness- its' length. Mr. Huston must have felt impelled to play out what happened to each of the crew and in a bit too much detail. The resulting 123 minute run time is a bit trying and merits a reduction in rank from 5 stars to 4. Some of the resolutions, particularly Hayden's, could have been cut. That one grievance aside, "The Asphalt Jungle" is a fine 1950s noir/true crime tale and is highly recommended.Movie Review: Good Caper Film
Summary: 4 Stars
The first time I saw "The Asphalt Jungle" was on a colorized print shown on TBS. I was so impressed by the acting and story that I purchased the black-and-white version on VHS. I went ecstatic over this edition because this was the version that was most aestetically true to Director John Huston's vision. Now I have revisited this film again after a number of years now that it is on DVD. My opinion of this film has waned a little bit. The ensemble acting here is superb and the direction by John Huston is solid. My problem comes with the story. The basic theme of this movie is that a group of criminals can devise the perfect crime only to be undone by their individual character flaws. That theme is made obvious early and the unraveling of their crime is telegraphed well in advance. The central heist here is nothing special. The police commisioner, who we are suppose to empathize with, comes off as some caricatured authority figure from some Jack Webb cop show. That said, this is an above average film and I recommend it despite these reservations.