Dagelijks archief: zaterdag 18 december 2010

de macht van het gedrukte woord

gezien: sweet smell of success (1957)

sweet smell of successDe filosoof Wittgenstein stelde dat woorden daden zijn. En rapper Eminem zingt: “Words Are Weapons“. Woorden kunnen bijna even dodelijk zijn als een vuurwapen. Zeker wanneer het over het gedrukte woorden en grote oplagen gaat. Prestigieuze columnisten, zeker in de Verenigde Staten, die door een miljoenenpubliek dagelijks gelezen worden, kennen als geen ander de macht van het woord. In de jaren vijftig waarin sweet smell of success gemaakt werd, waren woorden als ‘communist’ en ‘marihuana’ verbale projectielen waarmee columnisten anderen konden maken of breken. Deze film, een van de beste film noirs die ik ooit gezien heb, gaat over een columnist (Burt Lancaster) en zijn persagent (Toni Curtis). Sweet smell of success toont de totale morele verdorvenheid van deze twee ratten, zonder dat er fysiek geweld gebruikt wordt. Het zijn de woorden die in deze film de ware killers zijn. Het scenario zit vol snedige dialogen, die als heerlijke cynische gevatheden kunnen amuseren en imponeren: “I’d hate to take a bite outta you. You’re a cookie full of arsenic.” Maar soms dringt het gif door en bezorgt de beheerste kilheid je het afgrijzen. Het ijzersterke filmscenario werd overigens geschreven door Clifford Odets en Ernest Lehman.

Tony Curtis
Mr. Falco, let it be said at once, is a man of 40 faces, not one – none too pretty, and all deceptive. You see that grin? That’s the, eh, that’s the Charming Street Urchin face. It’s part of his helpless act: he throws himself upon your mercy.
J.J. Hunsecker: Mr. Falco, let it be said at once, is a man of 40 faces, not one – none too pretty, and all deceptive. You see that grin? That’s the, eh, that’s the Charming Street Urchin face. It’s part of his helpless act: he throws himself upon your mercy. He’s got a half-dozen faces for the ladies. But the one I like, the really cute one, is the quick, dependable chap. Nothing he won’t do for you in a pinch – so he says. Mr. Falco, whom I did not invite to sit at this table tonight, is a hungry press agent, and fully up to all the tricks of his very slimy trade.
[Pulls out an unlit cigarette and faces Falco]
J.J. Hunsecker: Match me, Sidney.
Sidney Falco: Not right this minute, J.J.
 
Bron: imdb.com
sweet smell of success
Het deel van New York City (tussen Columbus Circle en Times Square) waar Sweet Smell of Success zich afspeelt, geeft de film in combinatie met de jazzy score van Elmer Bernstein een geweldige sfeer
The hierarchy and brutality of the animal kingdom is sometimes difficult to fully grasp as we humans are thoughtful creatures with characteristics exclusive to humanity such as empathy and pity. Conversely there is another side to man that may mirror the bestial ruthlessness of the animal kingdom. This side of man transcends beyond the animal’s savagery to a darker dimension of mercilessness. Where the hostile law of the jungle may seem harsh, it is instinctual genetic programming that’s essential for animal survival in such an environment. With humanity, the cruel and inhumane treatment of others are conscious choices made from dark recesses of the mind; often fueled by greed and malice. In Director Alexander Mackendrick’s 1957 film Sweet Smell of Success, New York City is the jungle and success in the entertainment industry is game to be hunted and devoured by the kings of this food chain. Only predators with the sharpest teeth, the biggest roar and the greatest cunning will successfully catch and devour their prey and feed off its warm carcass till the next warm blooded meal comes along. Sweet Smell of Success follows two such carnivores, one of whom is trying to claw his way to the top, the other making sure he remains leader of the pack and nowhere in the landscape which they operate is empathy found or wanted.
 
Bron: noiroftheweek.com
sweet smell of success trailer
These are the sounds of a small section of New York. The section lies between Columbus Circle and Times Square. This is the world of Sardi’s, Toots Sor and the Twenty One, Lindy’s, Reubens and the Stage Delicatessen. This is the world in which adolescent dreams of success in bright lights must be implemented by work, endless interviews in producer offices, and the quick wit of the press agent and columnist. In this tiny empire lives are made and destroyed by the public, critics and columnists. This is a place which breeds terrible competition and in the final analysis it is perhaps the individuals themselves that destroy themselves, clawing and stratching their way to a very clusive and ephimeral thing they call success.
 
Bron: Elmer Berstein op achterzijde van soundtrack album, 1957
Elmer Bernstein
filmscore van Elmer Bernstein
This music was designed to create an over all atmosphere from main title to end title, rather than implement the action or characters in a specific way.

Elmer Bernstein

This then is the world. The music reflects the tempo, anguish and frustration in a contemporary, popular idiom. Therefore we find one of our central charachters, Sidney Falco, characterized by the kind of musical sound which could be coming from any of many night spots such people frequent. This music was designed to create an over all atmosphere from main title to end title, rather than implement the action or characters in a specific way.
 
Bron: Elmer Berstein op achterzijde van soundtrack album, 1957

sweet smell of success [ noiroftheweek.com ]