Fritz Lang really knows how make an incredible noir. Scarlet Street is based off the French novel, “La Chienne)”, which translates to “The Bitch” (I’m not making that up). Following painter Christopher Cross (not the singer), he’s in a mid-life crisis who’s used painting as a sort of escape. When he befriends a dazzling dame, Kitty (Joan Bennett), she wrongly believes he’s a rich and successful painter. That’s when her fiancé Johnny persuades her to con him out of his paintings, and to make a fortune off of them.
This film is rather a black comedy for its first 45 minutes to an hour. And that’s nothing negative in any way, because when we reach the climax of this film, it feels like an uppercut that leaves you dazed. Lang never seemed afraid to show the violent realities of crime, and we see it in a brilliant final 30 minutes. And a fun fact, cities like New York, Atlanta and Milwaukee banned this film from screening for being licentious and profane.
Scarlet Street is such a fun viewing experience, and another example of Fritz Lang’s genius. This is actually a remake, as in 1931, Jean Renoir would released his film based on the novel and of the same same, La Chienne. While I have yet to see it, if it’s as any great as this film, there’ll definitely be a viewing in the near future.
Fritz Lang really knows how make an incredible noir. Scarlet Street is based off the French novel, “La Chienne)”, which translates to “The Bitch” (I’m not making that up). Following painter Christopher Cross (not the singer), he’s in a mid-life crisis who’s used painting as a sort of escape. When he befriends a dazzling dame, Kitty (Joan Bennett), she wrongly believes he’s a rich and successful painter. That’s when her fiancé Johnny persuades her to con him out of his paintings, and to make a fortune off of them.
This film is rather a black comedy for its first 45 minutes to an hour. And that’s nothing negative in any way, because when we reach the climax of this film, it feels like an uppercut that leaves you dazed. Lang never seemed afraid to show the violent realities of crime, and we see it in a brilliant final 30 minutes. And a fun fact, cities like New York, Atlanta and Milwaukee banned this film from screening for being licentious and profane.
Scarlet Street is such a fun viewing experience, and another example of Fritz Lang’s genius. This is actually a remake, as in 1931, Jean Renoir would released his film based on the novel and of the same same, La Chienne. While I have yet to see it, if it’s as any great as this film, there’ll definitely be a viewing in the near future.
