Review of The Naked City (1948) by Michael W — 28 Jan 2008

Many people say the real star of The Naked City is New York City. This is definitely a statement worthy of discussion. Filmed on the hot streets of New York City, The Naked City is a top notch film noir. A murder investigation brings out many characters and brings out many secrets at the same time. This noir, directed by Jules Dassin, just doesn't stop being entertaining. The way the voiceover/narration was done was BRILLIANT in my opinion. Instead of using a character from the film like many noirs do, they just used a spectator to a story, who made sharp comments as if talking to the characters. Such as asking if their legs are tired from walking all that distance, or accompanying the detectives in a little identification process: "Mistah, ever see a man looks like this?".

On to my favorite sequence in this film. The chase scene at the end. Just a brilliant use of the city as a whole, using everything the city has to offer. The ending is brutal, but perfect. Jules Dassin created a masterpiece with The Naked City.