Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Tuesday's Overlooked Film: The Concrete Jungle

The Concrete Jungle is the US title for Joseph Losey's The Criminal (1960). It's a very, very tough crime film, reminiscent of the best, the most hysterical film noirs à la Kiss Me Deadly or Brute Force. Very hardboiled (and not very unlike Sean Connery) Stanley Baker is the head character, a career criminal just getting out from the prison and already developing his next big gig. Everything goes well and they get 40,000 pounds, but afterwards Baker's criss-crossed, in the best tradition of the genre. The ending is very grim, which means it's very good. Some of the scenes are so hysterical you want to jump up and shout: "Stop!"

There are some problems with the film: there's too much music, some of the scenes are a bit stagey and there are some inconsistencies in the script, but all in all, a lovably dark crime film from one of the masters. There are some things here Joseph Losey couldn't have done if he hadn't left the USA after being blacklisted: the homosexuality of the inmates is not hinted at, it's plainly shown (even though there are no kisses here or even a mention of the relationships), and the violence is harsh and brutal. Here's a good review of the DVD. Check it out, if you can.

More Overlooked Films at Todd Mason's blog here.

5 comments:

Anders E said...

I saw this as a kid in the mid/late seventies, and I can still recall the ending. Some things just stay, you know. Gotta get this.

The recent Dr. Feelgod documentary OIL CITY CONFIDENTIAL (highly recommended) features clips from this and other British crime dramas from the same era. And it's easy to see why. The Feelgoods really looked like extras from GET CARTER or something like it.

Btw, doesn't Stanley Baker look a bit like a young (pre-moustache) John Cleese, except he's not built like a flag pole? Dig the trailer, and Baker at appr 0:13.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3GytKPsRLM

Anders E said...

I saw this as a kid in the mid/late seventies, and I can still recall the ending. Some things just stay, you know. Gotta get this.

The recent Dr. Feelgod documentary OIL CITY CONFIDENTIAL (highly recommended) features clips from this and other British crime dramas from the same era. And it's easy to see why. The Feelgoods really looked like extras from GET CARTER or something like it.

Btw, doesn't Stanley Baker look a bit like a young (pre-moustache) John Cleese, except he's not built like a flag pole? Dig the trailer, and Baker at appr 0:13.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3GytKPsRLM

pattinase (abbott) said...

Just can't remember if I have seen it or not. Mixing it up with Blackboard Jungle, I think.

Todd Mason said...

Well, Losey was an extremist. I'm trying to remember now if I've ever seen this...as I mentioned in mail, I've tended to conflate it with the ridiculous adaptation of THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, due to US title, and OTT nature perhaps.

Juri said...

Yes, Stanley Baker looks very much like John Cleese! I meant to mention that, but for some reason the likeness to Connery (maybe more in the way Baker moves and talks than the actual looks) stuck more.

There's nothing ridiculous about this. If you've seen it, you won't easily forget it.