The Naked City – Williamsburg Bridge 1948
The film “The Naked City” is a 1948 black-and-white film noir directed by Jules Dassin. The movie, shot in documentary style, was filmed on location on the streets of New York City. It is known for having one of the more famous quotes in movie history. “There are eight million stories in the Naked City; this has been one of them.” I actually watched this entire film just to hear this quote in context after hearing it out of context my entire life.
One scene that I took note of during this film was the final chase scene on the Williamsburg Bridge. The transformation of the Williamsburg Bridge from then to now is pretty fascinating. The West bound side has incoming and outgoing traffic, and the current eastbound side has a stairway that leads to the walkway. The most striking difference is how folks back then (Assuming that this portrayal was true to life.) utilized the Manhattan side walkway as a park. You can see kids rollerskating, jumping rope, playing marbles, etc. The only bridge in NY that bears any resemblance to that now is the Brooklyn Bridge. However the Williamsburg Bridge 1948 seems to have been a playground for locals as opposed to the tourists who cross the Brooklyn Bridge now. Also fascinating is how little Delancey street has changed. Haha.
Another interesting note about this film. The visual style was inspired by the New York photographer Weegee who published a book of photos of New York life entitled Naked City (1945). Weegee was known for his stark black and white street photography. Check out the embed below that has both the Williamsburg chase sequence and the famous quote. And if you get a chance see this film by all means do. It pops up on TCM every now and then or you can order it on Netflix.
Why Watch Watchman? Well…
The most endearing thing I find in Superhero movies is the vulnerability of the characters. The fact that Heroes have to deal with the everyday problems that plague us all makes it easier to suspend our disbelief. Movies like “Spiderman”, “The Incredibles”, “X-Men” and more recently the television series “Heroes” have all made vulnurability an integral part of their plots.
One film takes the cake when it comes to this portrayal. Watchman is set in an alternate-history 1985 at the height of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. It received mixed reviews but there was one part of this film that was universally praised by critics and fans alike. That was the opening sequence. This sequence was effective in portraying these Heroes as gifted individuals grapling with problems of the time. Not only was this sequence technically masterful, but it had a quirky element that was endearing. My favorite clip in this sequence is the one where Neil Armstrong lands on the moon and you can see a reflection of Dr Manhattan in his visor taking his photograph. The question arises… How does a being like Dr Manhattan with the power of God himself get an assingment like taking photos? What I also found very peculiar about this shot was that you can also see the credits in the reflection of the visor. Something I did not pick up until much later. A very interesting quirk that added to the appeal of this montage. The Bob Dylan track “Times Are A Changing” is also very appropriate addressing the topic of “change” while simoultaneously enhancing the mood of this montage.
Compared to other Superhero films I found that these Heroes were portrayed with even more more human qualities than what I have become used to. This montage embodies this sensibility. Check out the clip below and then watch the movie whenever you get a chance. It’s currently playing on HBO. If you don’t have HBO do the Netflix thing.
I had to upload and embed video to thenewpop site because youtube would not let you embed this clip. Sometimes youtube just doesn’t play well with the Fair Use act. Enjoy.
Le Mans 1971.
Caught the movie Le Mans on TCM yesterday. The movie starring Steve McQueen is about 24 Hours of Le Mans and was filmed on the circuit during the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans race. What makes this race unique is instead of focusing on the ability of a car company to build the fastest machines of the time, the 24 Hours of Le Mans would instead concentrate on the ability of manufacturers to build sporty yet reliable cars and the endurance of the drivers. But what I found compelling about this movie was the culture of sophistication surrounding this event. How true to life this is then or now I don’t know. I am well aware of how easy it is for filmmakers to present things as they see it, but since this was filmed in part at the actual event and not entirely staged I am less cynical about it’s accuracy. The vibe felt more like a Polo match than what I have grown to expect from car racing. I suspect the European sensibility about art and culture that seems to permeate everything they do has allot to do with this. Especially when the two main cars involved were Porsche and Ferrari.
The clip I embedded below is a conversation between Mcqueens character Michael Delaney and Elga Andersen character Lisa Belgetti. After a serious accident that involved Lisa Belgetti lover she asks Michael why do men risks their lives for sport? Michael responds with the following famous movie quote. “A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing’s important to men who do it well. When you’re racing, it… it’s life. Anything that happens before or after… is just waiting.” This is followed by a beautiful montage that illustrates the subtle and not so subtle beauty of the sport, focusing not only on the cars, but on the faces in the crowds, and the lifestyle that surrounds this event. It is a beautiful piece of filmmaking. This all takes place in the first 4 minutes so don’t let the 9 min duration discourage you from viewing the clip. And if you ever get a chance to watch the entire movie or if you have a Netflix account, you should give this film a chance.
Trev