Review of The Naked City (1948) by Grant P — 27 Apr 2008
The Naked City is all about the details. It's constantly moving and one of the most concise films I've ever seen. The narrator plays a unique roll in the film, exposing everything from the lesser details to crucial revelations. He acts as the voice of reason (third-person omniscient), but there's also a presence in him that's rare to cinema. I am sure of that.
By all accounts, the story is pretty typical noir involving a murder and relating a web of characters and then narrowing them to one. However, since the film always has the characters actively doing something, it remains engrossing. There aren't any moments to become bored with unless you are completely bored with the genre. The focus of the city of New York is more than a setting or afterthought. What immediately distinguishes The Naked City in the noir genre is most notably the introduction, which places the method of direction above normalcy, because it was in fact filmed on location instead of in CA (a rarity of the time).
"There are eight million stories in the naked city, this has been one of them.".
This review of The Naked City (1948) was written by Grant P on 27 Apr 2008.
The Naked City has generally received very positive reviews.
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