Sam Jaffe plays a criminal mastermind, who, on his release from prison, develops a plan for executing the world’s biggest jewel heist. He assembles a crack team of thieves to assist him including wise-guy Sterling Hayden who is looking for one big chance at making money so he can escape the filth of New York City. Around a conventional film noir plot, John Huston fashions a stunning mise-en-scene that investigates the continuing shifting alliances and conflicts within the criminal underworld. Hayden makes a convincing noir hero and the supporting cast, including a young Marilyn Monroe, is uniformly excellent. Brilliantly lit and filmed, and with a taut script, “The Asphalt Jungle” is one of Huston’s best films; a classic example of a film that celebrates and challenges the conventions of the noir/gangster genre. Based on the novel by W.R. Burnett.
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Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
306410
Language
English
Audience classification
PG
Subject categories
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)