Review of Night and the City (1950) by Matt T — 26 Apr 2010

Quite simply a masterpiece. A bombed, post war London set noir with a great opening sequence and a brilliant ending. Richard Widmark is excellent as a con man who sponges off his girlfriend and gets invoved in the wrestling business, upsetting the local gangsters. Widmark, in despair, does so much running around that you can see the sweat dripping from his face.

With plenty of angled shots and a strong support of international actors, this film combines Dickensian grotesques with noir visuals to create a dark claustrophobic world.

An interesting subplot involves Googie Withers as a duplicitous woman trying to get away from her husband. She is not quite a Femme Fatale, as the men in her life betray her. You often sympathise with her. There is also a touching scene involving one of the older wrestlers and his son.

This film is always exciting to watch all the way through and I recommend it to everyone.