[FilmReview]OnDangerousGround(1951)andPickuponSouthStreet(1953)

NicholasRayandSamuelFuller,twoAmericanmoviemakersextraordinaire,werebornoneyearpart,bothlaudedfortheirdistinctivestyles,heretheyoffertwo‘50sfilm-noirfeatures,bothconcernthemselveswithahardboiledmaleprotagonist,whosedismalworld-viewissoftenedbyagood-heartedfemalecharacter,buttheirattitudescouldn’tbemoredivergent.InRay’sONDANGEROUSGROUND,RobertRyanplaysatoughcitycopJimWilson,unlikehiscolleagues,heisaloner,case-hardenedbytheseedymilieuandseamyriffraffheencountersdaily,hisoccupationalhazardbeginstotell,asheismorethanwillingtoenforceviolenceuponthosewhodoesn’tcooperate(suspectsandwitnessesalike).Relegatedbyhissuperiortoinvestigateanup-statemurdercase,Jimtakesthetalking-towithasneer,buthiscallouscarapacebeginstothawoutbyMaryMalden(Lupino),theblindsisteroftheunbalancedoffenderDanny(Williams).HepromisesherhewilldoallinhispowertosafeguardDanny’ssafety(whoshouldbewarehoused),whilethevictim’sgrievingfatherWalterBrent(Bond)baysforblood.Whetheritisafutilepromiseornot,JimisimpressedbyMary’spoisedphlegmandunbowedstrength,whichawakeshiscompassionandmakeshimwholeagain,ahappyendingishammeredout,butnotbeforebotharegivensomeheadspaceintheaftermath.RayandscreenwriterBezzerides’straightforwardmorallessonisatadoversimplebutRyansportsthedistinctionofbeingalodestoneofmasculinegallantry,andLupinoisanexemplaroffortitudeandgrace,whoalsopluckilytakesthedirectorialchairwhenRayisstrickenwithamalady.IfRay’sfilmisahandsome-made,conventionalstudiofarefromtheHollywoodassemblywhichisadequatelyinstructive(e.g.thefilmisveryprescienttoflaguppolicebrutality),Fuller’sPICKUPONSOUTHSTREETisfarmoreebullientandimpudent,physicalviolenceeruptsatthedropofahot(don’tblinkwhenwomengetshotandbattered).Lumpingapickpocket,astoolpigeon,agirlwithaquestionablepast,somecommiesandred-baitingfromthelawenforcementintoascramble,thiscat-and-mousegameofobtainingamicrofilmisaslaponthefaceofblindpatriotism.SkipMcCoy(Widmark),anex-conandhardenedpickpocket,isnotgoingtogiveawaythesaidfilmhepilfersfromCandy(Peters)onthemetrosimplybecauseitisatreasonifherefusestodoso,notifhecanexactahandsomepayofffromthevaluable.Nopolicesweet-talkorcoercingcanpersuadehim.HeevenscoffsatthepromiseofcleanslatefromthepolicecaptainDanTiger(Vye,wholookcomicallymiffedandcannotsufferlowlifegladly).Aweasel-facedWidmarkhasjusttherightattributestomakeSkipadeadbeathero,hehasnothingtolose,doesn’tevenliveasemblanceofalife,heisonecooldesperadowhodoesn’tcareabouthisownlife.HeistheobverseofRyan’stoughieWilsonsincetheybelongtotheoppositesofthelaw,yet,bothareconsumedbylonesomenessandcynicism.Here,itisCandy’sunusualfidelitythatdeliversSkipfromhisstatusquo,theirgrowingromancedoesn’thaveasolidground,butonecanseethatFuller,inspiteoftheviolent,machoworldheconstructs,isprofoundlyasentimentalist,SkipandCandysharethat“made-for-each-other”vibe,theyarecutfromthesameclothandoncetheirpathsarecrossed,itisonlynaturaltheysticktogetherandcanoodlewhenevertheyfeelliketo.PetersreallyendeavorstodeliverCandy’stransitionassmoothandpersuasiveaspossible,hervoluptuousnessisavulgarone,butthatdoesn’tcheapenCandy’sheroicact,inasense,sheisthetrueagencyinthemoviebydemonstratingheraffectionandloyaltyunyieldingly.Thereishonoramongthieves,evenforMoe(Ritter),thewiseacrestoolie(herwayofdoingbusinesswithCaptainTigeristhecomicreliefthemovieishurtfor),sheearnsherliving(andpreparingforherdeath)candidly,nobadbloodbetweenherandSkip,andsheismorethanbefuddledwhenCandyknocksonherdoorandoversharesherfeelings.RitterismeritoriouslynominatedforanOscaronthestrengthofherimpactfulimpersonation,Moe’sworld-wearinessissoinfectiouseventhoughwedon’twanttocreditit,wecannothelpimaginingtheworst.Moe’sfatealsopointsuphowtheanti-Redbrainwashworks(oranykindofbrainwash),sheisindoctrinatedtodislikesomethingshedoesn’tevenknowof,andiskilledbecauseofthatbenightedness,Fulleralwaysknowshiswayofsendinghisveiledmessage.BothRayandFullershowtheirdabhands,ONDANGEROUSGROUNDhasseveralwidelyimpressivelandscapecompositionswhilePICKUPONSOUTHSTREETisadeptatzoominginonthepickpocketingclose-upswithrapideditingtosimulateveracity.Butbothfilmsaretaintedbyitsstockdesignationofcharactersofbothgenders,butFuller’sworkleavesmorereverberationsandbetrayshismaverickperspicacity.referentialentries:Ray’sTHEYLIVEBYNIGHT(1948,7.1/10);Fuller’sTHENAKEDKISS(1964,7.5/10),UNDERWORLDU.S.A.(1961,6.7/10);MaxOphüls’CAUGHT(1949,7.7/10).Title:OnDangerousGroundYear:1951Country:USALanguage:EnglishGenre:Drama,Film-NoirDirector:NicholasRayScreenwriter:A.I.BezzeridesbasedonthenovelbyGeraldButlerMusic:BernardHerrmannCinematography:GeorgeE.DiskantEditing:RolandGrossCast:RobertRyanIdaLupinoWardBondsAnthonyRossCharlesKemperEdBegleySumnerWilliamsRichardIrvingCleoMooreIanWolfeRating:6.8/10Title:PickuponSouthStreetYear:1953Country:USALanguage:EnglishGenre:Crime,Film-Noir,ThrillerDirector/Screenwriter:SamuelFullerfromastorybyDwightTaylorMusic:LeighHarlineCinematography:JosephMacDonaldEditing:NickDeMaggioCast:RichardWidmarkJeanPetersThelmaRitterRichardKileyMurvynVyeWillisBoucheyMilburnStoneVicPerryRating:7.5/10本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系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