Stumbled across this little gem of a film on the internet, after seeing it mentioned in an article entitled "The 10 Best British Noir Films You Should Watch" on tasteofcinema.com.
I am something of a noir fanatic, and Pool of London holds up with the best of the late, gritty urban films in that "genre," which often forsake the noir femme fatale formula, making males with tragic flaws their own antagonists. This film has all the elements of great drama, and Hitchcock couldn't have done it better. It even features a strikingly beautiful blond, the kind Hitch favored, in Susan Shaw. Va-va-voom!
This film transcends most thrillers of the era by making one of the leads a black man, and the ramifications are expertly and sensitively woven into the story, unlike the heavy-handed examples which would follow as the upcoming civil rights era ensued.
I was so impressed by the incredible photography in this film that I was compelled to look up the director of photography: Gordon Dines. I must say, John Alton has nothing on Mr. Dines! He is a master of the craft, and makes this film a must-see on that basis alone.
This is a well paced, well shot, well acted thriller, and I am glad I finally stumbled across it after all these years. It's so nice to be surprised by the quality of a long lost film, just when you think you've seen all the best. They don't make them like this anymore. Now all you see are cardboard characters, 2-second shots, nauseating hand-held camera takes (even when they aren't warranted ) and CGI explosions....no thanks.
Now I need to track down "The Blue Lamp", which was also shot by Gordon Dines.
I am something of a noir fanatic, and Pool of London holds up with the best of the late, gritty urban films in that "genre," which often forsake the noir femme fatale formula, making males with tragic flaws their own antagonists. This film has all the elements of great drama, and Hitchcock couldn't have done it better. It even features a strikingly beautiful blond, the kind Hitch favored, in Susan Shaw. Va-va-voom!
This film transcends most thrillers of the era by making one of the leads a black man, and the ramifications are expertly and sensitively woven into the story, unlike the heavy-handed examples which would follow as the upcoming civil rights era ensued.
I was so impressed by the incredible photography in this film that I was compelled to look up the director of photography: Gordon Dines. I must say, John Alton has nothing on Mr. Dines! He is a master of the craft, and makes this film a must-see on that basis alone.
This is a well paced, well shot, well acted thriller, and I am glad I finally stumbled across it after all these years. It's so nice to be surprised by the quality of a long lost film, just when you think you've seen all the best. They don't make them like this anymore. Now all you see are cardboard characters, 2-second shots, nauseating hand-held camera takes (even when they aren't warranted ) and CGI explosions....no thanks.
Now I need to track down "The Blue Lamp", which was also shot by Gordon Dines.