On A List of Movie Reviews

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The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 6/07, 7/11

AsphJ
6/07: The Asphalt Jungle is a towering giant among films noirs.

Sterling Hayden is mesmerizing as the tough guy Dix Handley, and Sam Jaffe steals the show as the down-to-earth grandfatherly Doc Erwin Riedenschneider. Rounding out the powerhouse cast are Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen, James Whitmore, John McIntire, Marc Lawrence, Barry Kelly, Anthony Caruso, Brad Dexter, and Marilyn Monroe who makes her screen debut. They portray some of the most unsavory, tough-looking characters ever shown on screen.

I love how John Huston creates an aura of hardness around the characters, yet they come across to me as ordinary human beings with real-life problems and simple vices. Consequently, I can't help but like them all. Louis Calhern's quote "After all, crime is only a left-handed form of human endeavor" is meant to say that crime provides an outlet for some people.

All in all, oft copied but never equalled, The Asphalt Jungle is the king of heist pictures.

7/11: I'm dropping my rating of The Asphalt Jungle from '10' to '9'.

Don't get me wrong. It's still a giant among films noirs. Now, I think of the acting to be on the weak side as evidenced through Sterling Hayden and Marilyn Monroe. Annoying is when Dix kept talking about the Kentucky cornfields. I mean, if he got there for real, it still isn't going to change a damn thing!

Make no mistake: it's a tough, gritty picture with a fantastic underworld feel. The performances are brilliant and spot-on. That's why I love to revisit the movie from time to time. The best part is the plan sounds good in theory but never matches reality.

All in all, it's a jungle out there in The Asphalt Jungle.