NFR Project: 'The Asphalt Jungle' (1950)

 

NFR Project: “The Asphalt Jungle”

Dir: John Huston

Scr: Ben Maddow, John Huston

Pho: Harold Rosson

Ed: George Boemler

Premiere: May 12, 1950

112 min.

It’s one of John Huston’s best films, and an absolute film noir classic. In it, Huston changes his visual style completely, creating a dark, claustrophobic world in which very few can be trusted and things don’t break the protagonists’ way.

Our heroes are the criminals, and this story is told from their perspective. We in the audience are their conspirators; we can’t help but root for them. They are regular Joes, and would be considered working stiffs if it weren’t for the fact that they break the law instead of punching a clock.

A dangerous criminal mastermind, Doc Riedenschneider (Sam Jaffe, in a fantastic performance) is released from prison. He has a plan to steal $500,000 in jewelry in a big Midwestern city. To do this, he needs $50,000 in seed money. He goes to a crooked lawyer, Emmerich (Louis Calhern in his greatest role) to get his backing. Doc assembles a team – safecracker Louis (Anthony Caruso), getaway driver Gus (James Whitmore), and a strong-armed “hooligan,” Dix (Sterling Hayden). The plan is excellent, and everything goes like clockwork – until it doesn’t.

First, the explosion that blows the safe sets off the alarms for all the businesses in the area. A watchman intrudes and is struck down by Dix, but not before Louis is accidentally shot. Doc and Dix go to collect the money for the job, but it seems that Emmerich is secretly broke and plans to take the jewels from the team and flee the country. His private detective Brannom (Brad Dexter) tries to shoot it out and gets killed – and now Dix is wounded, too.

Doc and Dix escape and make their plans to get out of town. Emmerich is cornered by the police and kills himself. Doc is arrested; Dix drives with his girlfriend Doll (Jean Hagen) to his boyhood home in Kentucky. He makes it, but dies in a field outside his house. The horses he loves gather around his dead body.

The top-notch script, adapted from W.R. Burnett’s 1949 novel, gives us three-dimensional characters with something to say for themselves. Marc Lawrence is great in a small role as Cobby, a sweaty fixer, and Barry Kelley plays a corrupt cop to perfection. Each character has a point of view, something to shoot for, and their fair share of weaknesses. Doc is attracted to underage girls, which proves his downfall; Emmerich bankrupts himself by keeping a teen mistress (Marilyn Monroe in a sharp early role).

And Dix is an honorable man in a dishonorable profession. He sticks to his word; he’s reliable and decent. His dream of buying back his family farm is a good one; he’s simply fated not to see it happen.

In the end, the best-laid plans go awry and the guilty are punished. Order is restored. But our protagonists are all destroyed.

The NFR is one writer’s attempt to review all the films listed in the National Film Registry in chronological order. Next time: Born Yesterday.