Movies That Deserve Watching: ACE IN THE HOLE and GUN CRAZY

[thehefner]

So before we caught the great tommx in DOUBT (one more this Sunday, assuming you're not going to the Faire like we are!), I dragged Henchgirl to the AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring to catch a film as part of their Film Noir theme month.

Actually, truth be told we were going to see this:



I've already seen it, and it's brilliant. In fact, Devin at CHUD.com wrote a whole essay last week how the entire "Balloon Boy" fiasco is proof positive that ACE IN THE HOLE is sadly more topical than ever.

Quoth Devin: There are not many movies released almost 60 years ago that are completely, totally and brutally relevant to the world we live in today. But Billy Wilder's ACE IN THE HOLE is a film that is so of the moment it could come out this weekend and be considered timely, as today's Balloon Boy Brouhaha reminds us.

It's a dark, giddy, cynical little bastard of a film, and you have one more chance to see it at AFI this Thursday at 7:00. I plan to be there!

Or, if you like, you can watch it in its entirity here! A must for lovers of noir and biting satire:

So yeah, I've already seen it, but I wanted to see it on the big screen. In fact, we were running so late, we had to skip our first meal of the day (we slept in) just to see this, the other big noir feature playing today:



One of the great cult noir B-movies of all time. Look at that poster. That title. You think you know exactly what kind of film you're getting into with that. And just in case that one's not exploitative enough, shit, check out this one with the alternate title!



What we weren't expecting was to see one of the most goddamned romantic movies either of us have ever seen.

Thing is, this film is hailed as one of the greatest noir crime movies ever made--particularly the greatest Bonnie and Clyde type story--and I can see why. It's a film that's celebrated by critics and scholars, particularly for scenes such as the legendary bank robbery scene:

Director Joseph H. Lewis said: "We started a mile out of town. John and Peggy knew the intent and content of the scene, improvised their own dialogue and generally played it by ear. It so happens a car pulled out as they drove up. Otherwise she was going to double park. We made two takes and used the second take. Off screen there were people that yelled 'They held up the bank'. It was so real and none of the bystanders knew what we were doing. We had no extras except the people the policeman dircted. Everything--cars people--was there on the street."

Fucking. Awesome.

So yeah, I'm right there with the critics. For the most part. See, take this essay on GUN CRAZY written last year for AintItCoolNews.com. The critic loves it, but he observes, "the two get together and it’s pretty clear she’s a horrible influence on him. Soon they are like a Bonnie and Clyde team, staging smart and small robberies, but her greed grows as their take does and she manipulates John Dall’s love for her for riskier jobs."

Well... not exactly.

I think many see her as a typical femme fatale, as those posters (and the alternate title) would have you think, and the genre itself would lead you to expect. Now, does she manipulate him? Hell yes! But she isn't like, say, Barbara Stanwyck in DOUBLE INDEMNITY or Kathleen Turner in BODY HEAT. Those are your classic femme fatales, the ones who wrap a sucker around their finger, make him do their bidding, sap them dry, and then double-cross them. Those women are only ever out for themselves.

But her manipulation is more akin to Lady Macbeth. At least, depending on your interpretation of Lady Macbeth. I'm sure many would see her as pure, classic femme fatale, but I've always preferred the school of thought that saw her manipulation not as a gambit to gain power for herself, but rather for them both. That her love for Macbeth was genuine, just as Peggy Cummins' love for John Dall was genuine. Genuine to the point of making them both schmucks, as love can do. It's what ultimately makes them shitty robbers but real human beings.

There's a point 3/4 of the way through where Henchgirl and I were totally expecting the typical noir femme fatale betrayal where she'd leave him in the lurch and he'd resemble an oversized-lollypop. Shit, I think even the character thought she was going to do that.

But that doesn't happen. What they do instead is something that I just can't bring myself to describe here, for fear that it just won't have the same impact out of context. All I can tell you is that Henchgirl and I weren't expecting it, and when it happened, we both had tears in our eyes. That scene is going on my list as one of the most romantic moments in all of moviedom.

Then again, we could be biased. These characters are what Henchgirl and I would be like as bank robbers. Honestly, it was delightful watching how often Henchgirl saw herself in the character.

GUN CRAZY is no longer playing at AFI, but you can catch it all right here:

Be warned: the first ten minutes make it feel like "REEFER MADNESS, but with guns!" And even after that, the movie is littered with moments of unintentionally hilarious hokum thanks to Dalton Trumbo (the blacklisted writer of the classic JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN). I still giggle at the thought of the line, "Two people dead! Just so we can live without working!" Heeheehee.

Ahem. Still! Stick with it at least until Peggy Cummins arrives, and tell me you aren't sucked in. Trust me. It's a magnificent film, and for me and Henchgirl, it's truly our (sick, strange) idea of a great date movie.

Comments

My musings on another Billy Wilder film:

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

Thoughts on Sunset Boulevard: Why Norma Desmond wouldn't have it so bad today

Re: My musings on another Billy Wilder film:

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I shame to admit I've yet to actually see it! I will rectify this soon, and refer back to your post, rest assured. In the meantime, I'm kind of curious as to what you--as a journalist yourself, as I believe you are, right?--would make of ACE IN THE HOLE.