Review of The Asphalt Jungle (1950) by Al M — 19 Mar 2009

"It sounds like a scream from hell." Such is the way that one character describes a passing siren. And, indeed, this Absolutely astounding film noir from John Huston plays like the slow descent of its characters into the bowels of hell, which the film depicts as existing right here on the streest of our cities.

The cast is stellar, and the directing sculpts such a beautifully, gritty, noirish chiaroscuro in sections of the film. The Asphalt Jungle neither glorifies nor dmans the cops or criminals but stinated examines the complex interplay of the two forces as they struggle for survival in the modern, urban jungle.

For fans of noir, it doesn't get much better than this, and it doesn't get more hard boiled than Sterling Hayden in this film.