Post by klep on Nov 12, 2018 7:58:42 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 11/12: The Hitch-Hiker
NOIRVEMBER!
In 1953, in just 70 minutes, Ida Lupino showed up the boy's club of Hollywood with an exquisitely crafted noir.
The Hitch-Hiker begins with a brief crime spree - a man whose face we never see hitches with different people only to murder them and steal their stuff. A suspect is named in a paper, but Lupino still hides him from us in the act - we can't say for sure whether that paper is correct, he could still be anybody.
Even when our story begins in earnest, and two men in Mexico for a vacation weekend Gil (Frank Lovejoy) and Roy (Edmond O'Brien) unwittingly pic up the murderous hitcher, Lupino continues to shroud him in darkness. The first time either man has a hint of trouble is when the hitcher's gun dramatically leaps out of the darkness, and it's too late. They're in for the long haul.
At this point Lupino is content to show up Emmett Myers' (William Talman) face. With the game clear, there's no more need to hide the players. What follows is a constantly tense struggle of wills - Myers trying to keep his hostages in line as he makes good on his plan to evade the law while Gil and Roy look for a way out. Talman has a great face for the role - a sneer, some stubble, and an unkempt hairdo make him into a sinister rogue. He's smug - insufferably so; his misanthropic cynicism has him convinced he's just better than everyone. And that bum eye a perfect detail - always watching, always looking for a reason or just an excuse to kill.
As they trek through the backroads and desert of the Baja peninsula, Myers is ever vigilant. But Gil and Roy aren't pushovers - they know what's coming and they know they have to help themselves. They lie about when they'll be expected back, they drop clues where able, and they try to find ways to make things more difficult for Myers. But Myers' vigilance and constant needling and threats wear at them - particularly Roy, who begins to unravel the longer they're on the road.
Lupino keeps us so enrapt with the trio's mental struggles that it's a surprise when she cuts away. Lupino shows us police discussing the case - and revealing they're on the trail. At first it seems to break the tension, but the frequency of these cuts increases. As Myers thinks he's getting closer to freedom, as Gil and Roy think they're getting closer to death, the police are getting closer to them. As they finally reach Santa Rosalia the noose is drawing tight - the only question is who will be caught in it.
As the law finally catches up with him, the last expression we see on Myers' face is fear. For all his bluster and his confidence, he's completely lost when he's not on top.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 11/19: Cameraperson
FACT OR FICTION WEEK!
Kirsten Johnson takes us on a tour through her life as the woman holding the camera in this 2016 documentary, interrogating her own role in the events she sought to capture. Come join us next week as we delve into this 2017 Solutions nominee. Cameraperson is available on Amazon Video, where it is free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 11/13: The Other Side Of The Wind
Next edition of the podcast examines a pair of 'lost' movies, starting with Orson Welles' recently completed and released The Other Side of the Wind. Join us Wednesday for our discussion of this film, available on Netflix!
NOIRVEMBER!
In 1953, in just 70 minutes, Ida Lupino showed up the boy's club of Hollywood with an exquisitely crafted noir.
The Hitch-Hiker begins with a brief crime spree - a man whose face we never see hitches with different people only to murder them and steal their stuff. A suspect is named in a paper, but Lupino still hides him from us in the act - we can't say for sure whether that paper is correct, he could still be anybody.
Even when our story begins in earnest, and two men in Mexico for a vacation weekend Gil (Frank Lovejoy) and Roy (Edmond O'Brien) unwittingly pic up the murderous hitcher, Lupino continues to shroud him in darkness. The first time either man has a hint of trouble is when the hitcher's gun dramatically leaps out of the darkness, and it's too late. They're in for the long haul.
At this point Lupino is content to show up Emmett Myers' (William Talman) face. With the game clear, there's no more need to hide the players. What follows is a constantly tense struggle of wills - Myers trying to keep his hostages in line as he makes good on his plan to evade the law while Gil and Roy look for a way out. Talman has a great face for the role - a sneer, some stubble, and an unkempt hairdo make him into a sinister rogue. He's smug - insufferably so; his misanthropic cynicism has him convinced he's just better than everyone. And that bum eye a perfect detail - always watching, always looking for a reason or just an excuse to kill.
As they trek through the backroads and desert of the Baja peninsula, Myers is ever vigilant. But Gil and Roy aren't pushovers - they know what's coming and they know they have to help themselves. They lie about when they'll be expected back, they drop clues where able, and they try to find ways to make things more difficult for Myers. But Myers' vigilance and constant needling and threats wear at them - particularly Roy, who begins to unravel the longer they're on the road.
Lupino keeps us so enrapt with the trio's mental struggles that it's a surprise when she cuts away. Lupino shows us police discussing the case - and revealing they're on the trail. At first it seems to break the tension, but the frequency of these cuts increases. As Myers thinks he's getting closer to freedom, as Gil and Roy think they're getting closer to death, the police are getting closer to them. As they finally reach Santa Rosalia the noose is drawing tight - the only question is who will be caught in it.
As the law finally catches up with him, the last expression we see on Myers' face is fear. For all his bluster and his confidence, he's completely lost when he's not on top.
FACT OR FICTION WEEK!
Kirsten Johnson takes us on a tour through her life as the woman holding the camera in this 2016 documentary, interrogating her own role in the events she sought to capture. Come join us next week as we delve into this 2017 Solutions nominee. Cameraperson is available on Amazon Video, where it is free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 11/13: The Other Side Of The Wind
Next edition of the podcast examines a pair of 'lost' movies, starting with Orson Welles' recently completed and released The Other Side of the Wind. Join us Wednesday for our discussion of this film, available on Netflix!