Kermode Uncut: Unseen Gems

I have enough of that one I'm a kid crummy tenements no food no clothes save it for the jury Marty what do you think you're kidding I was brought up in district 2 I've heard that dialog from you poo reum Hot Shots ever since I was 10 years old get him only suckers work don't be a square stay with the smart money let the old man get the calluses digging the ditches no food no clothes crummy tenants you're breaking my heart money welcome to karma done cut I want to talk to you about the subject of hidden or undiscovered gems there is a rerelease this week of a 1948 Robert co-direct film called cry of the city it's the centerpiece of a season of Roberts jello make films it's running at the BFI Southbank through April and May and I hadn't seen cry of the city before so I read a little bit about it so a wonderful piece by Jeff Andrew who I think is a terrific film writer he was also very important to me as a film editor at time out I learnt an awful lot from him he wrote a very good piece about cried the city in which he talks about it being a classic awaiting rediscovery he Flags up the steely realism enhanced by flourishes of noir stylization and a glorious gallery of shady figures now that sounded intriguing then I watched the trailer and that really got me excited the story of the ruthless killer known as Martin Rome is the most penetrating cry ever to rise from the sidewalks of the world's greatest city New York thousands of readers of this best-selling novel titled the chair for Martin Rome were thrilled by the shocking story of conflict between law and lawlessness now all of its stirring scenes are reproduced on the screen in cry of the city every one of them filmed in its actual locale well done about you but I saw that trailer I was absolutely sold they checked out the movie and the movie didn't let me down at all it's a terrific piece of work there are obvious comparisons with things like angels with dirty faces the stories to people growing up ending up different sides of the tracks and many people have suggested that the film throws forward to the work of Martin Scorsese because of its location work those little italy films that he made interestingly enough robert shiller back apparently didn't like doing location work very much what he liked was the safety of studios so I liked the film very much and it started to worry me that I hadn't seen it before I really didn't know much about it because it comes in the period when the director was making some of his most famous work I mean think about it phantom lady 1944 earns him this reputation of the new Hitchcock spiral staircase 1945 killers 46 Kris Kross is 49 so it's bang in the middle of that period when he was really making waves and it reminded me of a discussion which comes up time and time again between critics which is what the film that you haven't seen that you should have seen that you're most embarrassed to admit having not seen this actually kind of has its roots in an old academic game I've heard stories about professors English professors doing a kind of dare game named the book that you haven't read so if somebody's doing a Jane Austen course will some fess up to the fact that they've never read Emma or somebody who's doing a course on Shakespeare will admit that they've never actually read Hamlet well in film critic circles the what film haven't you seen that you should have done always gets very varied responses for me for ages and ages I'm still embarrassed about this now it was Citizen Kane I mean I didn't see Citizen Kane until I was in my forties I think yeah I know that for ages before that I would cite Citizen Kane argument because you feel like you've seen it I mean I've never seen Napoleon and I've talked about Napoleon as if I have I know that I haven't actually seen the poem I've seen bits of Napoleon but frankly that's not the same thing so two things to do firstly if you get a chance go see Crowe at the city I mean believe me it really is worth seeing and it is strange that it's an undiscovered gem right for rediscovery as Jeff foundry says but secondly and perhaps more embarrassingly what's the film that you really think you should have seen that you're kind of embarrassed that you haven't and can you outdo Citizen Kane I mean let's be clear I have seen Citizen Kane now but I'm 52 stay where you are Tony I'll be ensuring this house as long as momma's here little disappointed new Maury yeah big boy now pretty funny fella you don't think I'll shoot just make a move Candela we see

Channel: kermodeandmayo

Views: 42,578

Keywords: Kermode Uncut, Blog, Mark Kermode, BBC Radio 5, Live Simon Mayo, Cry Of The City, Robert Siodmak, Napoleon, Citizen Kane, BFI Southbank, Geoff Andrew, Martin Scorsese, Victor Mature, Richard Conte, Angels With Dirty Faces, The Spiral Staircase, Phantom Lady, The Killers, Criss Cross

Id: Mi8RG-RhCo4

Length: 4min 58sec (298 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 20 2015