Posted by ElliotLavine
on 10/27/2009, 2:34 pm, in reply to "Re: Noir Birthday - Don Siegel"
68.122.15.2
I can appreciate how this might be viewed as an unpopular opinion as Siodmak's film is generally held in very high regard, despite the fact that once the actual Hemingway material expends itself (the first twelve minutes or so) it descends into a lengthy and, frankly, quite boring film. Even with the incredible star power the film offers up and the stunning camerawork of Woody Bredell, it never really kicks into gear, meandering around interminably until its conclusion. Siegel's film, on the other hand, is a marvel of taut economy and dicey pulp trashiness. And yes, it was designed to be NBC's first excursion into the "made for TV" movie racket, only to be consigned quickly and quietly to downtown grind-houses in the wake of the JFK assassination, being deemed far too violent for the ultra-sensitive sensibilities of American television viewers of the time. Besides, the thrilling combination of Lee Marvin, John Cassavetes, Angie Dickinson and Clu Gulager is a noir ensemble born and nurtured in the bowels of hell. Mix in Ronald Reagan as an oily crime boss who gets his kicks from slapping Angie around and the priceless spectacle of Cassavetes cold-cocking the soon-to-be Governor of California, you have a high and mighty noir cocktail of incalculable potency.
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