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Posted : 1 year, 9 months ago on 29 July 2022 10:35
Sweet Smell of Success is a fantastic film that deserves every ounce of praise it's gotten and more. And as much as I did like The Big Knife from two years earlier, with Jack Palance, which also had writing by Clifford Odets, Sweet Smell of Success was a far better and more consistent film.
There are so many things that are done so wonderfully in Sweet Smell of Success that it is hard to decide where to start praising it. It is a very accomplished looking film, with atmospheric lighting and elegant-looking costuming and settings. Elmer Bernstein's jazzy music score is both electrifyingly characterful and hauntingly powerful, matching the atmosphere brilliantly and enhancing even more effectively. The story is ceaselessly compelling, with the gritty realism of it being so ahead of its time(i.e. Lancaster's relationship with his sister) and the atmosphere whether bitingly satirical, poignant or moodily oppressive is so rich. It's very intelligently directed by Alexander MacKendrick, and the characters are astonishingly vivid. Has Tony Curtis ever had a meatier character? Possibly not.
In Sweet Smell of Success there are three components that are especially great. The outstanding cinematography(by far the standout elements visually) is one, both luminous and moody, Sweet Smell of Success has to be one of the best-looking films of the late 50s. The screenplay sizzles and crackles thrillingly, not only boasting some of cinema's quotable lines but also bringing the characters to life so vividly, nothing whatsoever over-heated here like the writing in The Big Knife has been criticised to be by viewers. Then we have Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster, who both give career-best performances, Curtis has the showier role and completely lives it in a way rarely seen before with him(for the record, I happen to like Curtis so this is in no way a criticism) while Lancaster has never been more spine-curdling. The rest of the cast are fine too, but it's Curtis and Lancaster who really live long in the memory.
Overall, a fantastic film, and deserving all the praise it's received and deserves even more. It's a touch anti-climactic at the end(a slightly longer length might have helped) but even that is nowhere near enough to drag down the film when everything else is so good. A very easy 10/10 Bethany Cox
Sweet Smell of Success Reviews
Sweet Smell of Success review
Posted : 3 years, 10 months ago on 16 June 2020 08:02
Lurid, sleazy and venal, "Sweet Smell of Success" fits the criteria for film noir and then some. Journalism is the source of shady dealings and machinations here, with not a single character within that field shown as being either worthy of praise or beyond reproach. Alexander Mackendrick unveils the New York press elite without averting from their reprehensibility, ensuring that his film pervades cynicism and sardonicism, with every frame exuding rancour, vitriol and scorn for the characters and their indefensible actions. Mackendrick presents us with repellent characters and situations without gangsters, molls or murders, and heightened considerably by James Wong Howe's superbly off-kilter cinematography, this conversion of antediluvian noir themes in a dramatic context yields results. "Sweet Smell of Success" utilises its Times Square setting magnificently, capturing the impure, corrupt atmosphere to the point it becomes a character in itself. It is a film that feels contaminated by its own scenery, and such intensity and acridity is also felt in the potent delivery of the concussive, grammatical dialogue. Each spoken word boasts a battering aural impact, the sharp wit, inflexions and whip-smart literacy of the film's verbal exchanges are as pungent and vital as its big city backdrop.
Despite its failure at the box-office due to fans of Tony Curtis recoiling at the sight of their idol playing a scheming "cookie full of arsenic", "Sweet Smell of Success" went on to be recognised as an indubitable classic of post-war American cinema, perfectly epitomising the slimy side of Manhattan. At its core, the thrilling tug-of-war between an upstart press agent and the bullying columnist he relies on for publicity has the feel of a tautly plotted power play cut from the Broadway cloth, but the apropos jazz-heavy score, contorted camera angles and shadowy aesthetic combine to create a dramatic energy dependent on relationships and tension to appear more cinematic and expansive. From the hysteria of the sidewalks and its scabrous, satirical complexity, "Sweet Smell of Success" revels in its own bleakness and cruelty whilst registering as utterly engaging and immersive.
Despite its failure at the box-office due to fans of Tony Curtis recoiling at the sight of their idol playing a scheming "cookie full of arsenic", "Sweet Smell of Success" went on to be recognised as an indubitable classic of post-war American cinema, perfectly epitomising the slimy side of Manhattan. At its core, the thrilling tug-of-war between an upstart press agent and the bullying columnist he relies on for publicity has the feel of a tautly plotted power play cut from the Broadway cloth, but the apropos jazz-heavy score, contorted camera angles and shadowy aesthetic combine to create a dramatic energy dependent on relationships and tension to appear more cinematic and expansive. From the hysteria of the sidewalks and its scabrous, satirical complexity, "Sweet Smell of Success" revels in its own bleakness and cruelty whilst registering as utterly engaging and immersive.
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A classic
Posted : 13 years, 3 months ago on 1 February 2011 08:13
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this flick but since it had a solid reputation, I was quite eager to check it out. At least, the title sounded really neat. I have to confess, I had no idea what the whole thing was actually about and the beginning was quite confusing, at least, to me. Furthermore, it took a while to take off. Still, it was definitely worth the wait after all. Indeed, I really enjoyed the realistic approach but, above all, I thought that the 2 characters played by Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster were just fascinating. Indeed, those 2 guys were some of the most slimy and conniving characters I have ever seen thanks to some really strong performances from Curtis and Lancaster. In fact, this movie didn’t get much love when it was released at least from the audience, it was mostly because both actors were playing such dark characters and it was apparently too difficult to swallow for the audience at the time. In my case, I just loved how bleak the whole thing was, the dialogues were really neat and the end was like a Greek tragedy. To conclude, I thought it was pretty awesome and it it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
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