RIFLE RANGE BOY: #MarilynMonroe

The Asphalt Jungle (1955)

Director: John Huston

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
Category:The_Asphalt_Jungle_(film)

This is one of those movies where viewers do not get attached to any of the actors but rather enjoy the storyline, dialogue, and the nitty-gritty of how a crime is organised. This is way, way back before we had 'The Italian Job' and the like.

Every character is vital in the film, yet none should overshadow the others. The main plot revolves around a heist, masterminded by Doc, a recently released model prisoner who devised a major diamond theft while working as a librarian during his incarceration.

He approaches a small-time bookie, Cobby, with his plan. Doc needs money to pay the right men for the job. A seemingly wealthy lawyer, Emmerich, then arrives, promising to finance the operation and handle the loot. In reality, Emmerich is broke and plans to cheat the robbers out of the jewels to keep them for himself.

The real reason people tuned in to watch this movie is Marilyn Monroe. She appears as Emmerich's ditsy mistress and may be the cause of Emmerich's poverty, as she is costly to keep. Monroe leaves a lasting impression on viewers and establishes herself as a true legendary performer here. Her sultry, naive 'damsel in distress' persona stands out in scenes where she has to lie for her master.

A locksmith is hired, and a local thug named Dix is brought in. Dix is a disillusioned man who wears a perpetual frown. He is fed up with city living and yearns to return to the peaceful country life that he left behind for a better life in the city. Now, he sees the city as an indelible dirt that permanently stains the skin. In his bitterness, he fails to appreciate the love that his girlfriend, Doll, shows him.

The robbery proceeds as planned without a hitch, but the TNT used to break the safe detonates nearby alarms, alerting the police. The thieves escape with the merchandise, but not before a confrontation with a guard. One of the robbers is shot, but all three manage to flee in the pre-arranged getaway car. From that moment, it becomes a downward spiral as each one falls apart due to internal squabbles and police apprehension.

It is a very intense film. One can almost feel the heat and the filth that the city exudes. To the characters in the movie, breaking the law is normalised. The police are not friends, but people you need to be wary of. They have seen enough corrupt policemen. The film also features many memorable and classic lines.

Experience has taught me never to trust a policeman. Just when you think one's all right, he turns legit.

One way or another, we all work for our vice.

Home is where the money is.

Worth the while. 8/10. It went on to win many accolades and was selected for preservation in the US National Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".