Sweet Smell of Success

November is the month of noir and unfortunately I was a bit late on posting this film. But who says you can't watch a classic noir on a cold December night! Film noir is a cinematic style popularized during the 1940s in America. It marked a time of paranoia and unrest as World War II loomed over the heads of Americans. Film noir showcased the dark underworld of the country with emphasis on crime and the breakdown of the ideals and social norms of the time (i.e. - domestic familial life, traditional ladder climbing in a corporation, etc.). Typical noir characteristics are: the films are typically black and white and low-key, deep focus shots are heavily utilized, city landscapes are stylized (i.e. - neon signs) reminiscent of comic book strips, and the plots are against nighttime settings. Some of my favorite films of all time are film noir so I decided to share a recent watch with you.

I watched Sweet Smell of Success (1957) starring Burt Lancaster (right) and Tony Curtis (left) on TCM On-Demand recently. This sleazy 50s film noir has been on my To Watch List for years now and within the first five minutes of viewing, I knew this film would be unforgettable in all of the best ways. The film is set in New York City with a set of characters that are cutthroat and will go to great lengths to get what they want.

I was impressed by the meticulous deep-focus shots, jarring close ups, shadow play, and genius camera panning. This is visually one of the best film noirs due to the magnificent camera work of Chinese American cinematographer James Hong Howe. He was one of the most sought after directors of the 1940s and 1950s but faced many personal issues in his life due to his race. This film has a modern edge due to the way it was filmed.

The sharp, cool, and diabolical dialogue is also a key component to this film. With genius lines such as, "You're dead son, go get yourself buried." "I'd hate to take a bite out of you. You're like a cookie full of arsenic." "In brief, the best of everything is good enough for me." I could go on and on with lines written by screenwriter Clifford Odets who updated the origin (the novel version) of this script with punchy lines and witty banter.

The plot is about J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster) who runs one of the most influential newspapers in the world and uses people like pawns in a game of chess in order to get whatever he wants. Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) is an equally morally corrupt press agent who is frustrated with his position in J.J.'s line of players. Falco will go to great lengths to get things accomplished for J.J. in exchange for positive exposure from J.J. in the newspaper for his clients. He is frustrated because J.J. doesn't come through on a lot of his promises and always expects more from Falco. Tony Curtis carries this film in the best role of his career. He is punchy and a pretty horrific man who you can't help but respect to a certain degree because he is honest and charming in his wrongdoings.

One of Sidney's biggest tasks he must accomplish for J.J. is breaking up his younger sister, Susan (played by Susan Harrison) from her boyfriend, Steve Dallas (Martin Milner), who is a jazz musician new to the jazz scene. This couple is young, naive, and the innocent characters in the backdrop of the corrupt underbelly of New York City (Manhattan), that seems to be ran by her brother J.J.

The film gets dark and disturbing in terms of the lengths that J.J. will go to try to end Susan's relationship and his obsession with ownership over his sister. Sidney Falco has to carry out the acts of attempting to destroy Steve's jazz career and reputation which takes a dark turn when Susan retaliates back.

I am a HUGE fan of this film, not for the storyline necessarily but the MOOD of it. It takes on characteristics unlike any other film noir that I've seen and is dark with scandal, deception, and lies as opposed to usual noir tropes--femme fatales, murder, and police on the trail. I highly recommend curling up on a rainy day or a cold evening, making a hot cup of tea or a strong brandy cocktail (or both), and turning this on. Then afterwards, take a listen to some Chico Hamilton!

I hope you all enjoyed this film review and I will see you soon for another post!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS USED IN THIS POST.