Review of Sweet Smell of Success (1957) by Daniel K — 07 Mar 2011

4: Wow. This just gets better and better each and every time I see it. Significantly, NYC has never looked like this before. Perhaps paradoxically, the incredible stark black and white night scenes reminded me of nothing less than Michael Mann's recent exploration of nightscapes in glorious color and depth on the digital front.

To have this happen with a 1957 film, that is obviously drained of color and meant to be as gritty as possible, is a testament to the brilliance of the photography, restoration, and transfer. It makes me wonder what other night time gems are out there, but simply haven't gotten the Criterion treatment.

The story has never been more relevant as well, although happily I feel that I rarely come into contact with this world. I certainly know that the non-stop 24/7/365 gossip train exists though, and that it is picking up steam.

These characters are larger than life, especially that of Lancaster and Curtis. The dialogue is icier and sharper than but few other films and the morals harsher and bleaker. It seems incredible that the film ever got made, but so much of it is implied and unsaid that it just squeaks by under the radar.

Scripts like this would never have been written without the production Code, which is one of the reasons one can make an argument for it being responsible for the creation of more cinematic masterpieces than it ever prevented from coming to the screen.

This is a Manhattan I've never really known, and I've not seen portrayed comparably in too many films, but I certainly wish I would have had the chance. It seems just about as cut throat as it gets, at least in civilized society.