The Asphalt Jungle

To be honest, I'm not a fan of the Film Noir genre. I tend not to like the dark themes, and I can't stand being able to see the trainwreck approaching (it's inevitable, after all, that they'll all most likely get caught or die by the end). Even so, I've found that I am quite enjoying this movie.

What I find truly fascinating is that there are no true 'good guys' or 'bad guys'. Everybody is a shade of gray, and even most of the criminals have a very human side to them. Louis, with his beloved family; Dix and his desire to go back to his ranch and be with the horses; they each have something that makes them more than just cardboard-cutout mobster-types.

Although I freely admit to liking the cliched good-versus-evil fantasy or sci-fi type stuff (usually with a happy ending), I find that the most interesting stories involve characters that you can never quite figure out. I like the cliched fantasy stuff for when I just want to watch something for fun, and don't want to have to think about it, but I still do love movies like The Asphalt Jungle for when I want something that will make me think and that has a more in-depth, interesting plot. This movie involves various shades of gray to match with the black-and-white film. You're actually made to care about each character, and to feel for them when they're caught.

Of course, there are a few that you don't care so much about. Emmerich, for instance, seems to be a greedy, selfish man. Of course, he's desperate because he's broke, but there are many things that make him less than likeable. Cheating on his wife, for instance, and plotting to steal all of the jewels. He almost feels like Charles Kane; the powerful but heartless, scheming man.
Also, I find Doc Riedenschneider (try saying that three times fast) to be quite repulsive. A brilliant man, but selfish and creepy. There are some nice things about him (helping out in the jail library) but overall I get the impression of a guy who's something of a creeper. The way he was mesmerized by the girl as she danced to the music skeeved me out. Of course, it's probably meant to.

This has been a very intriguing movie, and I once more find myself very glad I decided to take this class. This is the second or third film that I've seen and very much liked, which I would never have seen otherwise.