#847: HUSTON, John: The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

HUSTON, John (United States)
The Asphalt Jungle [1950]
Spine #847
Blu-ray


In a smog-choked city somewhere in the American Midwest, an aging criminal mastermind, newly released from prison, hatches a plan for a million-dollar jewel heist and draws a wealthy lawyer and a cherry-picked trio of outlaws into his carefully devised but inevitably doomed scheme. Anchored by an abundance of nuanced performances from a gifted ensemble — including a tight-jawed Sterling Hayden and a sultry Marilyn Monroe in her breakout role — this gritty crime classic by John Huston climaxes in a meticulously detailed anatomy of a robbery that has reverberated through the genre ever since. An uncommonly naturalistic view of a seamy underworld, The Asphalt Jungle painstakingly depicts the calm professionalism and toughness of its gangster heroes while evincing a remarkable depth of compassion for their all-too-human fragility, and it showcases a master filmmaker at the height of his powers.

112 minutes
Black & White
Monaural
1:37:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2016
Director/Writers


From a novel by W.R. Burnett.
Screenplay by Ben Maddow and John Huston.
Huston was 44 when he directed The Asphalt Jungle.

Other Huston films in the Collection:

#470: Wise Blood (1979)
#410: Under The Volcano (1984)

The Film

A

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Twelve-page wraparound featuring an essay by critic Geoffrey O’Brien.

Commentary

From 2004 by film historian Drew Casper, featuring archival recordings of actor Whitmore.

Pharos of Chaos

A 1983 documentary about actor Hayden.

Interviews

With film noir historian Eddie Muller and DP John Bailey.

Archival footage

Of writer-director Huston discussing the film.

Episode

Of the television program City Lights from 1979 featuring Huston.

Audio excerpts

Of an archival interview with Huston.

Trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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