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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ธ.ค. 2017
- Original upload date: 3/26/17
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Criterion Link: www.criterion.com/films/27542...
Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
Directed by Alexander Mackendrick
Starring Tony Curtis, Burt Lancaster, Susan Harrison, Martin Milner
Music by Elmer Bernstein, Chico Hamilton & Fred Katz
What was planned to be a hitpiece against influential and problematic newspaper columnist Walter Winchell ended up being one of the greatest films of the late noir era.
The purpose of this video is educational. Although I do not own any of the properties displayed within this video, fair use law deems that my use is just. - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
I was a student in the school of Film/Video/Animation at Cal Arts, 1972-74, Sandy Meckendrick was the Chairman of the Department and he lived up to being the best of the best film Chairs of the Best of the Best Film schools ever! You have made a very excellent analysis that Meckendrick himself would be very impressed by.
One of the great films of all time. The analysis by Magnus Prophecy is amazing and his praise of Mackendrick is so detailed.I could watch this movie over and over. I love the Curtis Jewish Bronx accent.
You need way more recognition too, not just this masterpiece
At 16:00 that is actress Barbara Nichols who should have won a supporting Oscar for this. In Sidney's absolute low point in the film she thinks he is coming to see her but instead brings a 'client' he wants her to sleep with.
I think the female actors in this film are horribly overlooked. It’s part of the blindness of cinema.
Probably the most devastating scene in the movie, including the reveal at the end.
Don't tell Sidney.
The scene where JJ, the light suddenly shining on his face hisses rhapsodically, " I Iove this durtee town " is my favorite.
Followed by " you're dead boy, get yaself buried "❤🤣❤️🤣
This is a fantastic analysis, and the context and history you provided is also fascinating and much appreciated. Great video!
Thank you so much for putting this analysis together and sharing it here! This video deserves a lot more views (as does the film itself).
I love this film. I stumbled across it while studying a listing of films with Burt Lancaster, one of my favorite actors. Your assessment is well done. I had to chuckle at your take on Susan Harrison and her pronunciation of "Shteve". Her style of speech is mousey, matching her character.
The voice of Walter Winchell and the way he spoke on radio (including his newspaper articles) is enough to earn him a place in the mid-Century history of the United States..
Good analysis of a brilliant film. I first saw this when it was released and was far too young to comprehend its subtleties. I and my friend, as silly teenagers and fervent Curtis fans were shocked to find him playing such a sleazy character but even with that proviso, I could still see how well he acted the part. Burt Lancaster was brilliant of course and I immediately became a fan of the Chico Hamilton Quintet, a band I still admire today. Yes a true masterpiece
Fascinating, a contemporary of the film with a personal take on the film. Thanks for the post.
Thank you for putting this together and sharing. Just to correct you, it IS the greatest film of all time :-)
Man, you need to do more of these Criterion Retrospectives, they're FANTASTIC!
love your retrospectives, watched them all this morning
In hindsight, your retelling of this story is actually very interesting. I had just finished watching Mank about a week ago and wow, you really nailed it. Going have to subscribe now lol. I really enjoy your cadence and you're editing is not wasted on me. Thanks brother.
After reading this comment, I'm going to try Mank again.
Great critique, really enjoyed it. I love this film, it's perfect in every way; acting, screenplay, directing even music. In my opinion better than Citizen Kane.
Agreed. I think it's the greatest movie ever made.
This is exactly the video I wanted to see after watching the movie last night. Thank you.
Great video! You touched on pretty much everything I love about the film and a lot of stuff I didn't know or notice! On a side note, english isn't my first language and so I never noticed Tony Curtis had an accent. Huh... I still don't hear it...
Fantastic movie about good and evil, with great acting and great dialoges. Maybe the title is somewhat distracting, it's not sweet at all.
Same way than James Ellroy who writes Mad Dog frenzy Pulp novels. This presentation grabs your intensively focused attention.
Not sure if this is mentioned in this video, but I never got why JJ is so dead-set on having his sister to himself. Is he in love with her? Is it a loneliness thing? I always wanted more clarity on JJ’s “why?”
-- Some here. What's the J.J./Susie relationship about? The novel contains a thread of incest between J.J. and his sister, Susie. Incest would've been a no-no for a 1957 film. The screenwriter and director did what they could. For instance, notice Susie's room: it's glass box, like she's a fine piece of jewelry on display. Also, J.J. buys tickets for a cruise, for him and Susie. Hmmmm...what do couple do on a cruise? He also tells Falco: "Susie's all I've got." Perhaps a scene where J.J. pets Susie's hair while she sleeps might've worked. Even that would've been censored. And there's her fur coat, a gift from J.J., if you really want to get Freudian about it. Just saying.
@@rerite2 The great Susan Harrison played the character with shame and empathy leading me to the same conclusion. Steve’s incandescent hatred of JJ pointed to it also, which is why he was the only character to stand up to the thuggish Hunsecker. The scene where they meet during the filming off JJ’s tv show was revealing: JJ was almost afraid of Steve’s rage but realised that ultimately he had the power. JJ’s secretary, classic older woman in love with the beautiful Sidney, also knew the relationship was tawdry and perverted but like most characters, was enthralled to JJ. What a masterpiece.
@@Hellserch -- Yes, I agree. About the showdown at JJ's TV show: I assume the screenwriters had Susie flee upstage so we could see how nobody in JJ's orbit helps her. No running out to the street. Even JJ's secretary remains seated at her desk, when most women, I believe, would've given Susie a shoulder to cry on/defended her. I like your observation, too, that JJ "was almost afraid of Steve's rage." There's that moment when JJ glares at Steve. JJ's ego gets hit. Yikes! JJ's insults reek violence: "Here's your head, what's your hurry," and "I'm not in the habit of shooting mosquitoes with an elephant gun." This helps setup JJ's choice to get Kello to rip Steve apart. And, subsequently, Falco. Like you say: "What a masterpiece."
@@rerite2 Odet’s words are peerless and were spoken with relish by a cast who knew they were mouthing greatness. I think the real anti-social personality disorder that JJ was modelled on, Walter Winchell, did a successful hatchet number on this fragile work, so that we who love it still have to hawk it around friends and family, to reveal its pithy insights. Thanks for the insights and value added to my understanding of this masterpiece.
Love your line: "Go get it, or I'll kill your boyfriend." Although an excellent movie, it is not given more recognition because it is disturbing, requires the viewer to think, and both main characters, JJ and Sydney are not likable. People may not be patient enough to notice subtle character & plot development. Also, the symbolic imagery and triangulation dialogue is not easy to follow. In addition, few people know who Walter Winchell is, and his real life personal tragedies. Finding out about him (and other modern references) helped me overlook some of the "feel bad scenes" and understand this movie as a work of genius. Thanks for your review.
A thoroughly enjoyable exposition of this classic movie. I also found out the meaning of the word 'diagetic' which is very pleasing to me. I plan to watch this movie, and use the word diagetic, in the company of my girlfriend this weekend. Thanks :-)
I just watched your video on Kiss Me Deadly.
So glad you did SSOS, too!
Request: Body Heat, 1981
It's a perfect film noir, one of my favorite movies ever, of any genre. And it's hardly ever discussed - drives me crazy....
Damn this was great video.
Not sure this has been mentioned, but I love the Enter the Void reference
Modern audiences wouldn’t be able to keep up with this film,very fast dialogue and what they talk about isn’t always clear,you have to concentrate.
I am proof
But, even if it takes multiple viewings, it's well worth the effort.
I'm a man in his 20's who's just watched watched this masterpiece for the first time. Keep the faith!
John Huston popularized the heist film with the Asphalt Jungle not Kubrick
And, Lancaster had a New York accent! Perhaps, not the same as Curtis, but pretty sharp. And, I'm from New York. Both, brilliant performances by these 'New Yawkers'.
@@Largentina. no asphalt jungle did
holy shit just watched this last night and this is some intense info lol
oh no, why did you unlist the vidoe :( loved the critique and really hoped there would be more in the future, all the best from austria
I am pretty sure that the ellipse device ... originated before Winchell. With Dos Passos possibly.
Scorsese has mentioned this as one of the films that influenced him.
"Cats in the bag and the bag's in the river."
"Don't be a two-time loser, Sydney, the penalty could be severe".
"I'd hate to take a bite out of you. You're a cookie full of arsenic."
A Labour of love this retrospective and well done for that. I learnt things here. Ultimately the film helped me understand complexity and contradictions in human behaviour. When I look at Trump I am very clear as to how power is allowed to abuse and is never resisted in its own time. One of my favourite films.
Yes, humble, normal people allow bullies and psychopaths to run the world.
We even elect them and cheer them on.
I have awesome taste in films (isn't that what we all think? (no, not that I have awesome taste (but you may do) but that we all think we have great taste)) and this is my favourite. It's difficult to say any film is the greatest film due to the variety of genres, styles etc, but SSoS comes damned close to perfection in its genre. Very brave film and role choices by Tony and Burt, and director re-selection. And I can't stand Jazz :-)
I'm sorry you are unable to appreciate jazz.
So far the perfect noir I’ve seen is The Third Man.
They don't make em like this anymore.
"Walter Winshell's America" was not our America. 😊
Do Out Of The Past!
SSoS is NOT a Winchell biography, though JJ Hudsecker is much like Winchell.
I wouldn’t call the lady killers minor
Hunsecker, not Hunsucker
Is this a robot-generated voice ? Can't bear it ...
Don't ever judge this film by the Politically Correct standards of today. To do so, will only destroy the genius of this film.
Jeez, slow down. I can't listen to this breathless, monotonous delivery.
I fixed this issue by setting the speed to 0.75
No idea why this guy has to talk so fast. What's the rush?