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Post by spiderwort on May 18, 2024 3:36:09 GMT
Niagara (1953)
One of the gems of late noir, Niagara (1953), owes its success not to cast, script, or locale, though locale is a factor. Rather, its genius is in its use of camera, color and sound. Early Technicolor films were almost always over-lit and flat. This film is remarkable for its deep, rich blacks and realistically saturated colors, combined with strong compositional lines typical of the very dark, black-and-white noir films of the forties. In this regard, it is a masterpiece (I would not say the same about the story). Images from it linger in the mind long after the film is over. Another innovation is its use of pure cinema to tell the story sans underscore. Instead of music, it uses powerful sound effects often built on cuts to convey emotions. The story and acting are secondary, although Joseph Cotten's performance is admirable, and even Marilyn Monroe manages to create a character that is without her usual Hollywood gloss and glamor. But the purely cinematic triumphs of director Henry Hathaway and cinematographer Joe MacDonald are the real stars of Niagara. Their work set the standard for The Godfather, Chinatown, and other great films that didn't appear until after 1970. A film both ahead of its time and vastly underrated in its time, each viewing yields examples of some new cinematic innovation.
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Post by Doghouse6 on May 18, 2024 6:19:19 GMT
I recall a number of discussions on these Proboards about the visual and thematic virtues of Niagara, and you've encapsulated its splendors beautifully. The image in the screencap you've chosen represents a moment in the film I always look forward to seeing: the stark austerity of its bold, geometric composition; the dramatic side-lighting so emblematic of films noir; the placement of Marilyn's face near dead-center of the screen with headroom that renders her small and vulnerable, awash in red backlighting suggesting both the terror of the pursued and the inflamed, murderous passions of her pursuer. It may be fair to say the story and acting are secondary, but I find I appreciate the added dimension of innocent bystanders unwillingly ensnared in the scheme of a faithless wife to do away with an inconvenient spouse that had already been done in more straightforward fashion in films like Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice. The healthy, Eisenhower-era sunniness of Ray and Polly Cutler effectively contrasts with and accentuates the neurotic rot of the doomed relationship of George and Rose Loomis. According to Hollywood lore, Ann Sheridan commented about this shot, "There goes a girl with a great future behind her."
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Post by politicidal1 on May 18, 2024 12:46:21 GMT
According to Hollywood lore, Ann Sheridan commented about this shot, "There goes a girl with a great future behind her." Indubitably. ;)
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Post by Teleadm on May 18, 2024 14:05:06 GMT
Sol Kaplans music also helps to create the moods. Some tale I've heard or read is that people who watched this movie searched for the lodges near the falls in this movie, but they were only sets and props built on real locations, no wonder they couldn't find them.
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Post by petrolino on May 19, 2024 1:28:57 GMT
You've captured its visual appeal beautifully, spiderwort. 'Niagara' feels like the living, breathing embodiment of "eye-popping" when I think of the phrase "eye-popping visuals". Marilyn Monroe's visage leaps from the screen and the use of colour and depth of frame is beyond striking. One of Henry Hathaways' greatest crime pictures.
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